When We Died Last
by AJ Maxima
Summary: Team Minato are about to witness their deaths first hand during a time traveling mission, courtesy of an older Obito, their target. It's tempting to change the future, especially to prevent Naruto from growing up alone, or slaying his former teammate, but at what costs? What does Obito really hope to gain? Expect the worst. "Who'd like to see their corpse first? Don't be shy."
1. The Horizon of Disaster

**Disclaimer: *raises hand* I solemnly swear that I own nothing except the plot... that isn't much. (** **ノ** ***** ***)**

 **All characters and etc. are the sole rights of Kishimoto.**

 **Best Regards,**

 **AJ**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Horizon of Disaster**

You're going to die today.

It was the only thought residing at the forefront of Minato's mind while he gazed into the dark eyes of the enemy before him. Said foe, who was secured in a chair by black restraints, had long, brown hair and dark, beady eyes that were filled with mirth—having already seen the fate of several living souls in the events to come, particularly Minato's. His cunning gleam of knowing also reflected in the smirk he was directing at the blond shinobi. However, he feared Minato as if they were still dueling, and the bruises on his pale skin were painful, purple and black reminders to never cross paths with the Yellow Flash of the Leaf again.

He'd encountered Minato while he and his team were heading back to Konoha from a mission earlier that day, and the moment the spy had barely uttered the name of his student, Minato took him in for questioning instead of killing him, like he'd initially intended. Minato also had yet to inform Obito of the ordeal, opting to keep the discovery to himself. This was so, because the idea that his tiny pupil—his _ally_ —one day becoming his foe seemed unimaginable in his eyes. The facts the informer had spoken just weren't adding up, not in his mind.

 _But…_

If what the informer had just spoken were _true_ …

The lights in the interrogation room were dimly lit, welcoming torment at it's door for any poor soul foolish enough to be on the receiving end of Konoha's finest shinobi. It shined down on the spy as if it were the bearer of all damnation, condemning the stranger by it's random flickers.

"Are you saying that he's a traitor to this village?" the interrogation officer in black asked.

Minato's blue eyes narrowed at the wicked grin the man was giving him, and his blond brows furrowed, tension in them—even displaying in the creases that formed on his forehead. His student, Obito Uchiha, _wasn't_ a traitor—and he knew the good that resided in the boy's heart... However, if Minato knew the horrors of war that doomed his team during the future years to come, his view of the situation would certainly perform a one-eighty.

"Not _yet_ ," the spy answered, chuckling at the idea. Guile lingered his voice, reminding Minato of a snake recoiling back before a strike. "That's why he's here—to lure his younger self."

"Lure him for what?" the interrogation officer asked at the same time that Minato had been pondering it.

The spy chuckled again, a raspy sound to every ear in the room, and it warranted another strike to his already bruised face.

"Answer me!" the officer demanded in a thunderous shout. He struck the informer again, continuing his assault the longer he received silence in response. "What do you know?!"

"That's enough," Hiruzen spoke up from the doorway. The Third Hokage was wearing a white robe with a red conical hat. His pitch had sounded low and hoarse, yet somehow equable—key signs of growth from previous experiences throughout his lifetime.

Dark eyes examined the spy while Hiruzen walked forward, with light steps being heard as he paced. He gave his successor a nod as he passed by, and the head gesture spoke volumes. It even commanded Minato to exit the area, and Hiruzen's raised brows signaled that he'd like Minato to return to his office with Obito— _immediately_ by the looks of it.

Minato had known the man well enough to understand, given that the current situation _did_ in fact pertain to his student, and he began exiting in a composed manner while he went to go check on his comrades. Team Minato had been through a rough mission over the past few days, and finding that random enemy had just added to their fatigue. He also knew the heat would eventually get the better of Obito, and an argument of some sorts would break out between the little Uchiha and Kakashi by a simple taunt…

Sudden, fond reminisces of the trio—of Rin, Obito and Kakashi—flooded his thoughts. And on a normal day, in a normal setting, he'd have a loving, warm smile on his lips as he'd interact with them, and he'd chuckle nervously whenever Rin asked him if he'd be proposing to Kushina in the near future. He also remembered the numerous times he'd scold Obito during training for crying, but later encouraged the boy on his dreams to become Hokage…

 _Obito…_ he pondered _. What have you done…?_

Rushed steps were heard as Minato brushed past several officers, and his blond side bangs shifted with every swift movement. He had a determined gaze in his eyes, wanting nothing more than to understand why his student had been labeled as a future traitor… The only thing logical explanation he suspected was—

 _Time travel_ , his inner voice spoke up as he exited the building. _It's possible, but that would require a lot of chakra to keep up, wouldn't it…?_ It explained _why_ the spy had spoken of Obito returning to fix the past, though. There was ninjutsu for it, after all.

Minato watched his three pupils arguing on the landing of the facility's steps from where he stood at the peak, their usual banter soothing him. He saw that Obito was fixing his goggles while giving Kakashi a rueful look, and sweat was dripping down his face, making his dark brown spikes stick to his forehead. They were all sweating under the afternoon sun, really, and Minato felt the urge to treat them to a frozen snack when the rays began to discomfort him, but he gave no indication of his discomposure as he eyed his students.

No, his expression was masked by an array of neutralities, ones that often appeared when he was in combat on the battlefield.

"Oh yeah, well I'm going to be Hokage one day," Obito retorted to Kakashi with a bit of soul in his unwavering tone. It sounded like he'd wanted to stick his tongue out, but the bravado he displayed whenever taunted by Kakashi was endearing to his sensei.

Ever the resolute one, that Obito Uchiha; it was a trait that Minato valued.

It caused a small smile to form on the man's lips as he observed them, and for a moment, he negated the merciless musings of the boy betraying him. _Hang in there, Obito_ , he thought. _We'll both become Hokage one day._

They'd promised each other they would.

Kakashi scoffed, folding his arms while he turned his masked head away from his teammate. "Sure you will," he said in a disinterested voice. His silver spikes blew about in the light breeze just as much as Rin's short, dark-brown hair did, and both welcomed the winds. "You lack basic skills to even be a ninja. How can you become Hokage?"

"What'd you say?!"

Rin stepped between the duo when Obito took a riled step towards Kakashi. "Will you two stop fighting?" she asked wearily. _Not again…_ She knew something about today had them more vexed than usual, as if the aroma of disaster was drifting around the atmosphere. _It just feels like... maybe something's wrong._

Obito pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi. "You know he _always_ starts it, Rin!"

Kakashi shrugged, his gaze lax. "Right. Because _I'm_ your scapegoat. You should own up to your fights." Obito bit his tongue at the taunt.

 _Obito_ , Minato contemplated from where he stood, giving him a sympathetic gaze. _An older Obito… a traitor...?_

Rin spotted her sensei with a pleasant expression. "Minato-sensei!" She ran up the stairs to him, eager to hear about the man they'd help capture, and her open-toe shoes made small pitter-patter sounds against the stone treads. When she arrived at the height of the steps, she peered up at her sensei, dark eyes hopeful. "So," she said, leaning forward with her hands folded behind her back. "Who is he?"

"Yeah! Who is he?" Obito asked. He approached Minato with enthusiastic strides, while Kakashi placed his hands in his pockets, taking his time to walk up the stone.

"You all know that's confidential," Minato stated in a level tone. He gave them a small smile, mirth in his eyes as they all pouted.

"But _we_ helped catch him!" Obito responded. He hadn't realized how loud he sounded due to his zealous persona, but even so, Rin gave him a grin. She was used to his outbursts. Beside them, Kakashi nodded.

 _At least they agree on something_ , Minato thought, grinning warily. Blue eyes glanced at the little Uchiha, and Minato lifted his right hand, preparing to ruffle his hair... but he paused during the gentle gesture, and instead, he turned his palm up, curling his fingers towards his student. "Obito, come with me."

Obito blinked in surprise, words unable to escape him while he watched the retreating back of his sensei reenter the building. It took him a moment before he ran forward, hurrying after him. "R-right!"

Rin gave Kakashi a perplexed gaze while Kakashi looked on with his usual lax stare.

* * *

Inside, Obito hurried behind Minato.

"Why only me, sensei?" Obito asked. "Was it because I fumbled my part in the mission?"

"No," Minato answered. "I told you not to dwell on that any further, Obito. You need to simply—"

"Learn from it," the Uchiha finished, having heard the statement time and time again. "But Sensei… did I do something wrong…?"

 _Not yet…_ Minato paused, touching his temple with his right hand as he used his free fist to place a knuckle on his hip. _Poor choice of words…_ He wasn't used to being ruffled by missions—or anything in particular for that matter—but this was his _student_ … "The Third would like to speak to us…"

"Oh!" The Uchiha raised both fists, only to draw them back towards his sides in a form of silent cheering. He balanced his weight as he semi-squatted, practically bouncing with exhilaration. "Are we going on another mission together—just the two of us?!"

"Obito—"

"We just got back—but you're picking _me_ over _Kakashi_?!" Obito was grinning wildly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh! I knew you trusted me more, sensei!" _Wait 'til I tell Rin!_ He grinned at the idea. _That'll show Kakashi, too…_

"Obito," Minato said softly. As he looked over his shoulder, he parted his lips, wanting to explain the situation to his enthusiastic student… but he knew better. It wasn't his place, so he opted on slowly shaking his head. "…Follow me." If Obito hadn't been so excited, he'd have seen the brief look of dismay in his sensei's eyes.

"Alright!" the Uchiha agreed, fist pumping the air. He began following Minato up several flights of stairs, and it was after they arrived at the door of the Hokage's office that Minato halted, causing Obito to bump into his back. Minato gave him a small smile over his shoulder as he peered down at the younger before he lightly tapped the wood with his knuckles.

"Enter," Hiruzen said. After Minato opened the door, they stepped inside to see that Hiruzen's chair was empty, and his wooden desk looked abandoned, save for a few documents, and a necklace, that rested in the right corner. Only part of the balcony was visible, and upon stepping further into the large, wooden room, they saw that Hiruzen was standing on the least visible side of the exterior area. His back was to them, but Minato and Obito bowed, nonetheless.

"The spy," Hiruzen told them, turning to meet their gazes. "It is believed that he works for a man in an orange mask. I've suspected that they're both from a different time…"

"From the future?" Obito asked innocently. His brows rose with intrigue. _Seriously…?_ "Cool! Are we gonna meet him?" He glanced at Minato, his excitement getting the better of him. "Are we going on a mission with him, too?!"

"Obito," Minato warned. "Have some respect."

The Uchiha blushed, eyes drifting to The Third. "Whoops…"

Hiruzen's face faltered at the naive action, but he was quick to compose himself, his expression becoming stern. "Yes... the masked, rogue ninja has been reported roaming about _three_ times now from various teams—and each attempt at capturing him has been unsuccessful…" He glanced at Minato, eyes expectant. "Your _entire_ team is required to go after him now that we've at least been able to identify him and the…" His eyes darted briefly to Obito. "C _ritical_ circumstances he's trying to achieve," Hiruzen finished, earning an excited gasp from Obito as he pulled out a small scroll.

He handed it to Minato, using his free hand to cover the shinobi's right one once he'd grasped it. "Kill him by any means necessary." With a firm squeeze, he released Minato's hand, and Minato felt his own arm going limp at his side upon hearing the grim command.

Traitor or not, young or old, Obito was still his student...

Slowly, Minato nodded, taking in the information with a calming breath. None of this seemed real, and just when he finally thought he had his life figured out, one element—someone very dear to him—had changed—or he was eventually _going_ to.

"So wait! Are you saying we get to time travel?!" Obito asked, voice rising. He was thrilled. "This is so _awesome_! We get to go see—"

Minato touched his shoulder, squeezing it in a gentle manner. "Obito," he reprimanded him again. That wasn't the appropriate behavior for a shinobi to display in front of their Hokage.

Obito gave his superiors a sheepish grin, cheeks slightly pink as Minato released him. "Sorry…"

Hiruzen remained quiet for a moment, scrutinizing Obito with an unreadable gaze. _Such innocence… I wonder what face you'll show once you return—_ if _you return…_ "…Be wary during your plight." His eyes never left Obito's. "You are _not_ to alter the scenarios of the past, present, and future. Do you understand?"

Minato gave him a nod. "Of course, sir." Beside him, Obito gave him a few vigorous nods.

"Leave by nightfall to trail him, and see how he travels to and from his time," Hiruzen spoke up. "Head gear will be provided for concealment purposes. Expect that your provisions won't last you as long as the amount of time you're away. You'll have to find other sources during whichever time period you enter."

Obito and Minato nodded again while Hiruzen stepped around them and paced over to his desk. He grabbed a leaf necklace embroidered with brown gems, and he handed the fine-crafted item to Minato. "If I'm there, show me this, and I'll allow you resources, should you re-enter Konoha during your trip, or should you find yourself being labeled as anything more than you are now." _I should remember a mission like this... if I'm alive._

"I understand," Minato said. Suspicion would be drawn to them if they ran into their older selves, or someone who knew them… in more ways than one.

When Hiruzen gave him a knowing look, Minato glanced down at Obito, who looked all too hyped to go on their mission.

"Obito," Hiruzen spoke up. There was compassion in his tone, one that hadn't been there before. _It would be wrong to kill you now…_ He took a moment to choose the right words to confess to the boy, and another to wonder where he'd left his pipe. It wasn't the easiest conversation in the world to explain to a youth that they'd grow up to become a traitor without a confidence booster of some form. "…You're going to witness some... _vile_ encounters that you've performed—as well as some cruel scenarios that _we_ may have done ourselves."

The expression on Obito's face was a stumped one, and he gazed back and forth between his superiors. "I… I don't get it." _What's he mean by 'vile encounters…?' I haven't done anything wrong._

Minato placed a firm hand on his shoulder again, watching the younger peer up at him. "Obito." There was caution in his tone. "Know that whatever you see, and whoever you _don't_ see, you must endure it, and, by any means necessary, we _must_ complete this mission. Do you understand?"

Brown brows furrowed. "But, why would _I_ …?" A harsh realization flashed in Obito's eyes, and he knew _this_ had been the reason as to why his sensei wanted to talk to him alone.

All was silent for countless seconds and Obito tried his best to stop his hands from shaking in sudden fear. His view of himself had changed for the worse. "...The man the spy was talking about when we caught him," Obito spoke up. "The traitor in the mask… it's... it's _me_ , isn't it?"

Their remorseful gazes told him everything he needed to know.

"I…" Obito curled his hands into fists, his urge to go on the mission lost while his eagerness to crumble had come at him like getting struck in the throat. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, let alone _look_ into the eyes of his superiors, and it was after a pregnant pause that he got the courage to gaze at them again, nodding. His hands uncurled, and he tried his best to appear unruffled under their fretful gazes.

"I… I understand," he replied, shaking his head. "I won't mess with anything… I'll—" He gulped. "I'll behave. Promise." He didn't sound like his usual self. Minato even picked up on how the Uchiha sounded rehearsed and fatigued, emotionally drained of life.

"Thank you," Hiruzen said. He gestured towards the door. "Go inform your other teammates about the mission. Leave out _who_ we are after, for your own sake. If they should ask, tell them it's one of your relatives. Your name will remain unknown to them, unless your older self reveals it during the mission." _I pray that doesn't happen…_

Obito nodded sluggishly, taking his betrayal in while he trudged out of the room. The thought of traveling into the future to find a possible dead comrade was a daunting feeling, but Obito had hope that everyone he cared about during this mission would still be there as the years went by. Besides, even if he couldn't alter the future while he was there, he could still make sure that when he returned to the present he could change the way he handled certain situations to prevent any disastrous event that he'd seen… couldn't he?

 _I won't betray Konoha_ , he thought to himself. _Besides, I'm going to be Hokage! How could I betray a village that I love so much...?_

Once Obito was out of hearing range, Hiruzen gave Minato a grave stare. The silence was enough to ensure that Minato was going to learn some truths about his student that he wasn't ready to handle—as well as revelations about himself. Considerations of his future self entered his mind, and it plagued him like a slow killing ailment, the anticipation building. He was excited to see what his life was going to be like—and look back on what his life once was compared to everything there…

Did he get the courage to marry Kushina in the future yet, or were they still taking baby steps? Courting her was becoming more and more difficult with the never-ending shinobi war. It was impossible to plan a decent meeting without being interrupted by either their duties, or banter from Minato's team, so wedding plans were the last thing on their minds…

But settling down and raising a family after all was said and done, Minato knew it would be a fitting end for them. What a blissful dream it was...

"Minato," Hiruzen spoke up, breaking him from his thoughts. "There's one more assignment to your mission."

Minato straightened up, giving The Third his absolute attention. "Yes?"

Hiruzen stepped past him, walking towards the door of his office. "I wanted Obito go to on this mission and correct his wrongs in order to prevent killing him now, while he's in the present—a second chance of some sorts…"

Minato held back his protest by pressing his lips together, producing a small noise of disapproval that was similar to a barely audible 'tch' sound. That was the second time he'd almost lost his composure today— _almost_. "We were ordered not to change the future, so why...?"

"I don't want you to change anything... unless..." He sighed.

" _Unless_...?"

Hiruzen lifted his right hand, urging Minato to remain quiet. "I find no faults in him at this age, Minato, and we do not yet know what effects killing him in this time would bring on Konoha… For that reason, I wish to keep him alive..." He glanced over his shoulder at his successor. "But for the protection of this village, know that if he shows any signs of disloyalty, you _will_ be required to kill him, Minato— _both_ of them."

Blue eyes closed upon hearing the despairing order.

"Come." As Hiruzen opened the door of his office, Minato opened his eyes and turned, numbly walking after him.

 _…_ _Kill my own student?_ he asked himself. When the time came, could he really go through with it? Could he live with himself knowing that Obito's blood was on his hands?

"I wish there were another way around this, Minato," The Third spoke up softly as they walked. _I can't imagine what you must be going through_. "But of all the shinobi I could select for a situation such as this, I'd still choose you." _As my successor, I know you'd do anything to protect this village, even if that meant defending it from someone you care about..._

 _I've never failed a mission yet_ , Minato thought. He didn't intend to start today, either.

Or so he'd thought.

…

 **A/N:** I decided to make a huge _what if_ time travel fic featuring Minato getting a chance to see what's become of his team, and his life in general. Don't be surprised if Naruto spontaneously goes from being twelve, to three, and then sixteen. The time events won't be in order (due to a specific plot twist), but Team Minato will be bouncing through each event chasing an older Obito. I realize this will interfere with some missions too, especially The Lost Tower mission in terms of time travel, but I've already thought that through. I'm not sure how many chapters I'll be posting, because I might break up some if they're too long, but I've already written out the ending that I want.

 **Thanks to anyone who bothered reading this! It's my first Naruto fanfic, and idk if it'll be my last, but who knows. I typed it up over the weekend because it was bothering me so much so I don't even know if it'll be read, but if it is, feel free to leave a comment if you can spare the time, or press a button below. I don't mind either. Completely your decision :)**


	2. Foreshadowing

**Disclaimer:** I own...! The drink in my hand, and the pizza on my plate. Life is strange. -.-

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Foreshadowing**

Negate all emotion, accept the possibility of dying, and be prepared to kill...

Those were few of many shinobi rules to live by, commandments that Minato had unintentionally began questioning the moment Hiruzen had given him special orders to murder Obito if his pupil defected. _Murder_ , Minato thought. _I might have to_ murder _my own student… but it's for Konoha—_

"You aren't listening to me, dattebane!" Kushina snapped her fingers in front of him, her curious, grey eyes peering into his with a borderline haughty look. Her long, red bangs dangled low on either side of her face, carefully placed underneath the blue forehead protector she wore, and her high ponytail shifted when she tilted her head.

She was dressed almost identical to him, both wearing Konoha flak jackets and open-toe shoes. The only difference in their attire were their choice of form fitting shirts and pants—Minato's being blue and Kushina's coloring black. They also received several glances from villagers as they conversed on the small, wooden bridge, because it was rare to see the Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero out and about in Konoha without cause, especially since they were usually so busy.

There was always something to do, especially with the war going on.

Minato gave her a sympathetic look, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Kushina," he spoke up. He felt out of his element, although anyone in his position would.

"You're leaving again?" Kushina asked. She already knew the answer, and it wasn't uncommon for them to barely have free time. They were shinobi, after all.

Minato agreed with a light hum, gazing down at the small stream below them. "I'll be leaving tonight, but..." _This isn't a timed mission._ "I don't know how long I'll be away." The sun would be setting in less than two hours, and he'd be gone by nightfall.

"But that's not what's bothering you, is it?" Kushina asked. She casually leaned over the railing of the wood, watching little Ayu fish swimming below with a small frown, and it was after she heard no reply to her question that she peered to her right to see him watching her with a small smile. "W-what?" Her embarrassment was about to get the better of her.

"You're upset," Minato noted, his soft smile unknowingly growing.

Kushina's cheeks turned as red as her hair and she scoffed. "I am not!"

He chuckled in spite of her antics, crossing his arms in a gentle manner. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, dattebane!" Kushina blurted out, quickly slapping her hand over her mouth. She sighed at her behavior, noticing that he didn't seem annoyed by her actions. His smile always remained intact, always loving, accepting even... "If I ever have a child," she spoke up, hand lowering. "I hope he, or she, won't have my bad speech patterns."

Upon hearing this, Minato shook his head, disagreeing. "I think another red haired shinobi with a short fuse would be entertaining."

Kushina gave him a playful, patronizing stare. "You would…" There was a growing grin on her lips. "Minato… do you think…?"

"Yes, I'd like children some day," Minato answered, causing Kushina's eyes to shine with hope. They'd been seeing each other since they were children, right after he'd rescued her, and their love had grown stronger as the days came and went. However, even as they grew older, they never had the opportunity to discuss raising a family until now. There was simply no time available for such a personal conversation until that moment, but both shinobi were stable enough financially to settle down and start a family. The only thing stopping them was the war… and for Minato, it was also an older Obito…

Minato decided to wait on asking Kushina to marry him in that moment. _If fate's on my side, I'll ask her when all is said and done._ He couldn't allow her to get false hopes in the middle of warfare. It was unfair to either of them, and it'd be heartbreaking to make all those plans, only to have one of them die in combat and be returned to the other in pieces…

Kushina's face was heating up again, but she didn't look away when he gazed down at her. "Y-you can't breed with me... Our child would be a troublemaker by default."

Minato chuckled lightly, leaning over the railing with her. As he gazed up at the sky, he said, "I don't mind," he admitted softly. "I'd love them anyway." He glanced to his left to see that see that Kushina's eyes were watering, and she had straightened up. He followed suit, and she immediately lifted her hand, waving it back and forth to stop him from asking if she was alright.

"I'm fine," Kushina said. "I'm happy…" She wiped her eyes, nodding to herself. "I'm _really_ happy, Minato." He took her right hand in his, lips parting to tell her that he felt the same, but the bliss ended before he could speak when Rin came sprinting up to them.

"Minato-sensei!" Rin called frantically, coming to a halt. There were fresh tears in her eyes. "Obito and Kakashi are fighting!"

Minato quickly—and regrettably—released Kushina's hand, kneeling in front of his crying pupil while Kushina did the same. "Rin," he said, touching her left shoulder. "Please calm down."

Rin sniffled. "B-but, Obito and Kakashi are—"

"Where are they?" Minato asked, brows furrowing.

"N-near the w-waterfall," Rin answered, pointing with her right hand while she used her left to cover her tear stained face. _They're trying to kill each other..._ It wasn't like Rin to be upset over the duo's arguments. She'd seen it all before, but somehow this one seemed to genuinely concern her.

Blue eyes darted towards Kushina's.

"You go on," Kushina said, standing. She gave him a smile, leading a tearful Rin away. "Hopefully, we'll be doing this a lot in the future, dattebane!"

"Hopefully," Minato answered softly, agreeing. He gave her a firm nod, secretly wishing that their conversation hadn't been cut short, but he jumped up, nonetheless, dashing over the rooftops of several buildings.

"Cheer up, Rin," Kushina told her. "Boys will be boys."

"Did Minato-sensei ever act this way at our age?" Rin asked as they walked off the bridge.

Kushina casually placed her right arm over the girl's shoulders. "Nope. I even thought he was a wimp back then because he was so nice."

Rin gave her a strange look. "You thought sensei...?" Her tears had ceased. "But...?"

Kushina placed her left fingertips over her mouth to hide her smile. "That's another story for another time..." At least she's calmed down now. That's all Kushina wanted.

* * *

"I'm stronger than you," Kakashi said from where he stood on the cliff. "You won't win this battle." They'd been fighting since they left the Kage tower.

Obito, who'd been standing on the other side of the cliffs, glared at him. The large current of the waterfall divided them, foreshadowing a broken friendship from two shinobi of the future, who had yet to take a breath of life.

Obito tried his best to keep his composure, not wanting to be intimidated by Kakashi. _I can't lose_ , he thought. _Not to him… he's so… Ugh! Doesn't he care about anyone at all anymore?_

 _I won't lose to him_ , Kakashi thought. _He hasn't even gotten his sharingan yet..._ He raised his father's blade at Obito. "This mission hasn't even started, and somehow you've already screwed things up," he said, tone even. "So, who's this relative of yours in the mask? They must be pretty close to you for sensei to look so worried. Why else would he tell only _you_ about him?" Kakashi already had multiple theories, and his last was one that he wasn't too keen on believing, opting to keep it at the back of his mind.

Obito stiffened, body tensing as if he'd been gutted. The words from the third Hokage entered his mind. _"Go inform your other teammates about the mission. Leave out who we are after, for your own sake. If they should ask, tell them it's one of your relatives. Your name will remain unknown to them, unless your older self reveals it during the mission."_

 _I can't tell them_ , Obito thought. _He and Rin wouldn't understand like sensei…_ "He's... my... my cousin," Obito lied, glancing away.

Kakashi grew suspicious of the statement right away, and he never lowered his blade. "Your _cousin_ …?" He shrugged indifferently. "That means he must be a fellow shinobi around here." He tilted his head. "What's his name? Show him to me. We can end this mission right now, so it won't have to start again in the future."

 _Kakashi would probably try and kill me if he knew..._ _He'd do anything to complete a mission, even murder his own teammates..._ "He's…" Obito gazed back up, frowning. "I don't care what anyone says! He's a good shinobi!" I'm _a good shinobi!_ "And sensei said that we're not killing him because he's not a traitor yet, so it's not fair to him!"

Kakashi scoffed. "He's a traitor by default now."

"Shut up!" Obito yelled. He blindly charged forward, rage in his dark eyes as he readied his three kunai.

Kakashi started to do the same, until he felt a presence to his left. Immediately, he darted his eyes towards the direction of said intruder, not forgetting that Obito was still preparing to assault him. Skilled hands easily blocked the weapons thrown at him, and Kakashi jumped over Obito at the last second, attacking him from behind. The counterattack would've succeeded, right into Obito's back, had Minato not grabbed Kakashi by the wrist.

The action had caught the silver-haired boy off guard.

"Cool off," Minato said sternly, throwing his pupil down the waterfall. He gave Obito a disappointed look as Kakashi made an awkward splash into the water down below. "What have I told you two about teamwork?"

"But Kakashi's incapable of working with other people, sensei!" Obito protested. "And he was talking about... killing..."

Minato's eyes softened momentarily, before they hardened again. "Obito, for this mission you need to maintain your composure. You promised..."

Kakashi looked annoyed as he climbed back atop the water, standing to glower at Obito from where his rival stood with Minato higher up. _I hope he's not babying him,_ the silver-haired boy thought, running back up the cliff. Once he'd dashed up quickly and landed beside his sensei, he saw the severe gaze that Minato was giving them, slightly surprised by his sensei's look. _Obito and I always fight, but this one seems different... I really wanted to end him for sticking up for a traitor... That makes him just as much a rogue ninja as our target... doesn't it?_

The Yellow Flash of the Leaf was usually composed, and on mission-less days so caring and genuine, so it was strange to see him so angered.

 _I wonder if sensei is close to Obito's cousin_ , Kakashi thought, placing his hands in his pockets. He didn't mind the small droplets of water that dripped from his wet hair, or his soaked clothes while he stood there watching them. T _hat must be why this mission is effecting him… but shinobi can't have emotions during times like these. It's not the ninja way._ He had a strict 'follow the rules' policy, one that would cost him more hardships than he'd ever be able to fathom... in more ways than one.

"Working together doesn't qualify as _maiming_ each other," Minato stated, a serious edge in his tone. He sounded lethal, a contrast to his usual tranquil voice. "You're part of a team, meaning you work as a unit to form one moving formation." He touched the right side of his temple, rubbing it with a shake of his head. "I don't understand how a shinobi could attack his own teammate." And then the thought of an older Obito crossed his mind, making him eye the two boys with a sudden awareness.

Blue eyes stared at them with vigilance. _I see… maybe it's a rivalry that caused it? It's too early to jump to conclusions.  
_

"He's incompetent," Kakashi said, rolling his shoulders.

"You think just because you graduated early means you're better than me?!" Obito asked, taking a step forward.

"No, there are other factors to easily prove that." Kakashi gave him a lax stare. "Your emotion is what makes you weak."

Obito disagreed with that statement. _Emotions are what make us strong; blocking them out makes you weak._ "I don't believe that," he retorted.

Kakashi glanced away, uninterested in the conversation. "Believe what you want, but having emotions will kill you in the long run."

Obito drew his fist back. "Why I outta—"

Minato grabbed them both by their collars, sighing to himself before either could strike the other. _Suddenly having children has lost my interest…_ That thought only entered his mind whenever Obito and Kakashi were arguing. Rin gave him hope that perhaps he was best suited to raise a girl… "What is it going to take for you both to—?" Minato paused, his grip loosening until he slowly released his pupils.

An intruder was nearby.

 _Just one_ , Minato suspected from the small sound of a twig breaking while his brows furrowed. _Is that you, Obito…?_

"Your hand is bleeding," Kakashi told Obito. _I don't know how he managed to do that when I didn't even hit him._ Kakashi was thankful for the distraction, hoping that Obito wouldn't ask his sensei why he'd suddenly become alert.

Obito gasped at the amount of blood pouring from his hand, not realizing he'd accidentally slashed himself while trying to attack Kakashi. He shrieked. "Sensei! Am I gonna die?!"

"Stop waving it around!" Kakashi ordered, taking a step back when some blood splashed on his clothes.

"Kakashi," Minato spoke up. He reached into one of his pouches and handed the boy a small, grey box. "Help him bandage his hand. That's a lot of blood." He pointed to his wrist. "Tie something around here to stop the bleeding first." _Let's not have him die of blood loss… although it would end the mission sooner—wait. I can't think like this. This is Obito... he's still my student, my teammate..._ This mission would be the death of his sanity.

Both boys grumbled at the command, but they agreed with matching scowls. In the moment that Minato had given them that order, he threw one of his custom made Flying Thunder God kunai in the direction of the intruder. It missed, hitting the tree beside him when the intruder stepped to the side, but Minato still used it as a teleportation device, disappearing from his students.

Kakashi and Obito were left arguing amongst themselves, not noticing that their sensei had left until a few seconds later, when Kakashi had started reaching for a white bandage in the box. Both shinobi paused, eyes darting around. _Sensei_ , Kakashi thought.

"It's you," Minato whispered further off in the forest, voice even. His kunai was at his former students throat, and he took in the height difference, noting it had vanished. They were eye level, but all Minato could see was Obito's orange, spiral mask that shielded his face from view, and the black cloak that covered his hooded form.

Minato had made the mistake of hesitating to kill his former student in that instant, but Obito didn't take this opportunity as the time to strike his superior. Instead, Obito watched him, taking in his form with a remorseful smile that was hidden behind his mask.

 _I want to remember you as you were_ , Obito thought. _Not as Hokage… but as Minato-sensei..._ "Sensei," he spoke up, greeting him in a civil manner.

"Obito," Minato said, caution lacing his serious tone. _Why hasn't he moved yet?_ He was waiting for an assault.

Obito shook his head, ignoring the nick he received from the blade on his adam's apple. "I don't wanna fight you anymore than you wanna fight me, Minato-sensei." _It's not you who I want to destroy..._

"Then why are you here?"

Obito lifted his left palm, shrugging. "Why haven't you killed me yet?" he countered. "It's the number one assignment on your mission, isn't it?"

Minato made a 'tch' sound, a crease forming on his forehead while he pressed the kunai further into Obito's neck. He wasn't mentally prepared to kill his former student, knowing that his hesitance was justified. Anyone in his position would question their actions.

"It's okay, sensei," Obito spoke up. "I'd prefer not to kill you either…"

"But there _is_ someone you're after?" Minato asked suspiciously.

When Obito chuckled, it sounded hollow and cruel—a sign of his future misfortune. "Yes. I've the intent to kill, the motivation to alter, and the urge to complete… but I need my younger self to do that."

"Obito—"

"It's the only way I can do this," Obito stated, voice menacing. "It's something I have to do…" If Minato had taken off Obito's mask, he'd of been able to see the anguish that resided in his eyes. "However, before I do that, I need to show him what's incomplete."

Minato jumped back when he heard a sound, and he dodged an attack from a sudden enemy who appeared out of a flash of red chakra. The Yellow Flash slashed the nameless shinobi in the chest as he maneuvered past him in a spiral motion, landing a few yards away beside another tree. The nameless ninja fell to the ground easily, his last breath of life taken the moment Minato had struck him in the heart.

"And yet, you don't mean to kill me," Minato said, giving his former student a harsh glare. He felt betrayed.

Obito grabbed the Flying Thunder God kunai out of the tree, shrugging Minato off. "If you're in the way, it can't be helped." He'd spoken this like one would if they were discussing small-talk, casually, as if it were commonplace.

Minato kept his eyes transfixed on him. _So, it was a ploy to get my mark..._

Obito examined the kunai briefly, nodding to himself as he lifted the weapon up and down slightly to feel it's weight. "You know, I collect these?"

Minato remained silent, brows knitted at his contemplative student. His emotions had gotten the better of him, a first for the Yellow Flash, and he didn't use his teleportation jutsu to return to his weapon. He only wished to restore his students honor, not kill him. _What do I say to avoid this mission? What can I do to bring my student back...?_ It was a troublesome thought to murder a comrade.

"I figured we could play a game," Obito spoke up. He tossed the weapon up in the air, observing the way it flipped twice before he caught it with ease. "You remember the bells test, right?"

Minato narrowed his eyes, right brow arching.

"Well, this game is similar to that," Obito explained. He raised the kunai up a little, gesturing it around. "Except you'll be retrieving these."

Minato tilted his head. "Retrieving them for what?"

"To find me," Obito said simply. "I won't always be there, but I'll be around—or maybe I'll already be gone…" His body began to glow a deep shade of red. "During the bells test, you said the first thing to do was 'remain hidden from your enemy.'" He spread his arms, bowing his head slightly as the chakra engulfed him. "So come and find me, sensei." _Bring Obito to me._

"Just what are you trying to make Obito see?"

"What's incomplete," Obito answered again before he vanished. "What's been destroyed." There was a bit of distortion in his voice.

Minato inwardly scolded himself. He didn't have the heart to kill Obito, even after his student had been mere yards away—just within reach of ending this entire mission…

 _What have I done?_ Minato began doubting his skills as he raced back to his students, but he paused his internal ranting when he saw Obito sitting on the cliffs. Rin was sitting beside him, healing his hand with a concentrated expression, and Kakashi was standing beside them with his arms crossed.

Minato gave them a soft smile as he watched the way their faces lit up upon seeing him. He could tell what they were all thinking just by that one look: Minato-sensei!

They were adorable, and even Kushina gushed about them whenever she saw the way they gave him _that_ look—gazes of admiration. _When they're quiet, I consider having a boy more, Kushina…_ "Looks like you'll make a full recovery," Minato stated, pacing over to them.

Obito grinned, giving Rin a grateful glance. "Looks like it."

Rin pouted at him, her eyes still puffy. "I can't believe you two were fighting," she scolded them. "We're a _team._ "

Upon hearing this, Minato nodded. "Please remember that on this mission." He folded his arms as Obito and Rin stood, eyeing his three students. "Speaking of the mission, report back here in one hour. We leave to hunt down our target then." The sun was close to setting.

"But how do we time travel?" Rin asked. "And who's Obito's cousin? Do we know him?"

 _Oh, that's right_ , Minato thought. _They don't know it's…_ "That's confidential out of respect for that shinobi, but leave the traveling to me." Before they could protest, he gave them a firm nod. "Report back here within the hour."

"Right!" Rin and Obito said. They dashed off to gather items, and to go say goodbye to loved ones, while Kakashi remained standing there, a brief flash of… was that hurt in his eyes?

Minato tilted his head, giving him a wary glance. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your friends?" Minato asked, knowing Kakashi no longer had close family. "Who knows how long we'll be gone...?"

The boy shook his head, feigning indifference. "No." _I have no friends._ In truth, Gai was his friend, whether he'd admit to it or not. They'd never really spoken 'goodbye' when leaving for missions, though, nor did Kakashi speak to the other graduates whom he had classes with at the academy. There was a wall built up to defend himself from public relations.

"Kakashi," Minato spoke up. He waved for the little shinobi to follow him as he walked towards the edge of the cliff. "Come with me." The superior knew there was someone eager to say goodbye to both of them.

* * *

"I'm glad you two came," Kushina admitted, hugging Kakashi on her front porch. Her small, wooden, traditional-styled house was in a secluded area of Konoha, surrounded by forest. She'd been living there with caretakers ever since she first arrived at Konoha.

Even though the silver-haired child didn't return the embrace, Kakashi felt thankful that she cared. It was rare for anyone to do so, and the blush on his face, which was a contrast to his annoyed glower, had been an indication of his gratitude in some odd way. Affection wasn't his strong suit.

Kushina peered around Minato, expecting to see his other students standing behind him on her large porch.

Minato gave her a shrug as he rubbed the back of his neck, grinning. "It's just us…"

"Oh..." Kushina gazed down at Kakashi, leading him inside. It was obvious she loved children. "Well, two is enough, dattebane," she said. "I'm gonna miss you guys!" Her excitement overflowed.

"Jiraiya-sensei and Mikoto will still be here." Minato followed behind them in the house, a warmth washing over him as he closed the door behind himself. The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero always put him at ease, and he could tell that Kakashi had a sense of tranquility around him, too…

The state of calm stayed with them, even after they'd both left her home nearly thirty minutes later, and now they walked in silence towards Kakashi's apartment. The younger was walking beside Minato with his hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead, while Minato peered down at him. Kakashi had completely quieted at Kushina's place, like he'd never experienced a real family setting. Perhaps growing up with a genius who killed himself would cause problems such as these.

"There are a few more things I need to gather," Minato said once they'd reached Kakashi's street. "I'll see you soon, Kakashi."

As he turned, Kakashi said, "Minato-sensei…"

Minato paused, waiting for his pupil to speak.

"...Nothing." Kakashi rushed off, and Minato watched him go with a content expression. That was Kakashi's way of saying 'thank you.'

Once Minato had completely gathered his belongings—and stocked up on is special kunai—he returned to the spot on the cliffs, right on time. Kakashi and Rin were already there, but Obito hadn't arrived yet.

"Late again," Kakashi stated.

"No, I'm here!" Obito shouted, running towards them. He lifted his right hand, catching his breath. "It was the grannies, I swear!" Rin giggled while Kakashi groaned.

"You use that excuse every time," Kakashi said.

"Let's get moving," Minato cut in, giving his students a wearisome smirk. He took out one of his Flying Thunder God kunai, stabbing it into the rock. When he stood, he said, "Oh, right." He took his brown backpack off, searching for several items. It took him a moment to gather them, but he pulled each of them out, handing them to his students. They were four, white fox masks, with red lines on the cheeks and forehead areas. "We'll be wearing these for the duration of the mission," he explained. "And these..." He handed them thin, black head wraps that covered their hair and neck, but left their faces visible. "And we might have to buy some new ones along the way to fully blend in."

They all placed their gear on, and Minato placed his palm out in front of him. "Take my hand," he instructed. _Let's see if what Obito said about my kunai was true. My teleportation jutsu..._

Petite hands slowly clasped his large one, squeezing it in surprise as the scenery around them began to change. Everything looked familiar, yet foreign. The civilians wandering the market streets of Konoha weren't the usual passers, and the items they bought looked about as updated as the shops they purchased from, save for the food. It was a very busy section of Konoha, so Minato didn't find it odd when they were overlooked as if their shinobi appearances were commonplace.

Minato gazed down in search of the kunai, noting that it wasn't there. The indent that it'd left in the earth was still fresh—as if it'd _just_ been pulled out—causing a blond brow to arch. _Does this mean you're nearby, Obito?_

"This is... the future, sensei?" Obito asked, gazing in awe. He felt slightly saddened, knowing the old elderly from his time had probably passed. One of the nearby shops, now owned by someone else, used to belong to one of the grannies he'd greet every morning. Minato squeezed Obito's shoulder when he saw the boy fixated on that shop, already knowing what he was thinking.

 _Keep calm, Obito_ , he thought.

"Well, this is kind of a let down," Kakashi said. He released a surprised hitch of breath when he saw a man with slanted, silver hair and a mask similar to his own pacing further down the street through the crowd. There was an explicit orange book in his hand that engrossed him, and he ignored everything, and everyone, as he seated himself down at a ramen shop next to an older Gai, who was planning on challenging him.

Minato was glad that his smile wasn't visible, and he wished he could take Kakashi's mask off to see the boy's expression as he took in the sight of his older self. Rin and Obito, however, were chortling amongst themselves, clearly humored.

"I don't think this future is a let down at all," Rin said. As she giggled, she began covering the mouth area of her face mask, appearing to have forgotten that her face couldn't be seen.

In response, Kakashi folded his arms. "Whatever."

Minato felt eyes on him from where he stood, and when he glanced around in search of the possible enemy, he saw no one. He felt _positive_ that the person watching him had his kunai. _No_ , he thought. _They're lower…? What in the world?_ His foe must've been extremely short.

Minato adjusted his viewpoint, ducking his head to inspect the lower half of the adults walking by for his hidden enemy.

Blue eyes widened in amusement when he'd located his target.

Farther off, peering around the street corner while holding the Flying Thunder God in his petite hands, was a little boy. He appeared to be no more than four or five, and he had spiky blond hair, blue eyes, and three whisker marks on each cheek. He was wearing a plain, white shirt, some tan shorts and a pair of black sandals. Minato was so engrossed by his presence that he failed to notice the way the villagers gave the boy a cautious, disdainful look, almost as if the child were a walking sin that was sentenced to be eternally damned.

 _He's precious_ , Minato thought, his hidden smile growing. He carefully started to approach the child, weaving through the non-caring crowd. However, the boy had other ideas. _This_ child liked games, although no one bothered to play with him. The spirited lad took off down the street, a bright, teasing smile on his face as he glanced over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at Minato.

It was Team Minato's turn to chuckle at their flabbergasted sensei, who paused mid-step, wondering if what he'd just witnessed had actually happened. He'd never dealt with children of that age before, but no one had ever stuck their tongue out at him— _ever_.

That happened.

 _Kushina_ , Minato thought. _I hope we have girls—_ only _girls…_ It seemed every male child he wandered around gave him a headache.

"He's a cutie," Rin said once she'd stopped giggling. Obito rolled his eyes at her statement.

"He's a brat," Kakashi said, clearly annoyed.

Minato shook his head, snapping out of his shock. "Well, we need to capture that brat— _boy_ ," he corrected quickly, eyes widening at his slip up. He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing at his growing migraine. "It's like the bells test. Retrieve the kunai, but don't harm the child. On my mark." _This should only take a second, but I'll give the kid a head start..._

Minato waited for a while, lifting his index and middle finger together. When the boy had ran onto another street, he lowered his fingers in the direction the child had went. "Mark."

Team Minato took to the rooftops, running in a box formation, and the swift action caused an older Kakashi to become alert.

Kakashi lowered his book as Gai babbled to him, seeing a flash of yellow. _Was that really…?_ The theory of ghost crossed his mind. _But there were_ four _..._ He stood, ready to pursue the strangers.

...

 **A/N:** While writing this, I remembered a few episodes where Sasuke challenged Naruto when he and Sakura visited him at the hospital-that scene where they fought each other with the chidori an the rasengan, while Sakura ran between them and she started crying afterwards. And also the waterfall episode in which Naruto and Sasuke battled again and the mission where Naruto slashed through his hand to get the poison out. I wanted to foreshadow all of that so that when Team Minato sees it (or whichever of the four gets to see it *hint, hint*, they'll understand that whole saying about history always managing to repeat itself), hence the chapter title. ;)

My word count for this is going to be high, just letting y'all know. Short chapters make me feel cheated, so I write long ones (and I don't have time to get lost into a read with short chapters). Maybe it's just me who feels this way…?

And I just want to say thanks to all the visitors that clicked on this! I was seriously surprised by the alerts and favs too because I wrote this on a whim, and jotted down a quick story board thinking no one would want to read it so…

THANKS Y'ALL! You're welcome to leave a comment, or click a button if that's your heart's content. I don't mind in the least bit. :)


	3. The Unloved Yearn for Affection

**Warning:** If you have virgin eyes and aren't used to reading curse words, hit the back button, dear reader. There be one, or maybe two down below. o.O

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Unloved Yearn for Affection**

The only reason Minato hadn't used his teleportation jutsu to get to the blond child was because he feared he'd be teleported again without finding some facts about _why_ Obito had wanted to bring them to this time, and he was also afraid that he might accidentally stumble into the little boy.

Wouldn't want the lad to fall forward and stab himself, now would we...?

"Damn it," Kakashi whispered, just missing the child. He barely avoided colliding with a random building, forcing his chakra straight into his hands so that when he threw them out to protect his face, the force of the impact could bounce him back. _That would've been a stupid mistake_ , he thought as he landed awkwardly on his feet.

The blond child giggled, running onto another street, while Kakashi started to reach for his kunai. He threw it, but the attack was intercepted by Rin's shuriken before he could do any damage.

Rin gave him a slight look of accusation under her mask. "He's a _child_ ," she stated. _And_ _he barely looks four…_

"I wasn't going to kill him," Kakashi explained, shaking his head. _More like make a small nick on his shoulder…_ "Look, we've been at this for an hour," he continued crossly. "Besides, I don't think he'd be missed if—"

"We can't murder a civilian for stealing a mere _kunai_ , Kakashi," Minato reminded his pupil, slight mirth in his voice. "He's fast, though; I'll give him that." He smiled under his mask at this revelation. It reminded him of the time his team had to catch a patron's cat as a mission—damn difficult. Obito had to resort to asking the old ladies, which were a great help… but it took them most of the day.

Minato declared _that_ event as his favorite with his team, wishing they could go back to simpler times. It was going to get harder from now on, and even though his team members were trained shinobi, he still felt a slight sadness in the fact that they'd signed themselves up for adult affairs, like he had when graduating from the academy.

How strange it was to him as child, wanting to grow up so suddenly to become something great, and then wishing he had more time to revel in his youthful years now… Adolescence was an experience that children should cherish, but shinobi children… they'd never know what it was like to run around with their peers for 'the fun of it'. They had little time to actual _live_ —to get out in the world and find themselves…

And so far, as ninja, with this war raging on, the only place they'd all find themselves in would be an early grave.

Minato shook the morbid thoughts off, keeping his attitude even. His pondering reverted back to the blond child, the little terror, labeling him as a boy with potential. _Four shinobi can't even catch a small boy… I suspect that even a member of Anbu can't catch him…_ He hoped the kid had plans to put that speed to use for Konoha in the future.

Minato pointed above them. "Let's regroup along the rooftop."

Obito groaned while he and his teammates jumped up, fatigued. "That little guy's fast," he said as he landed on the red tile. He wished he could take his hot attire off, feeling his sweat soaking his dark clothes. "I _definitely_ wasn't expecting all that, and did you see the way he evaded us?" He sounded in awe of the child. "I can't believe we're losing to a little kid…"

Rin and Kakashi agreed with quick nods, clearly worn out from where they sat. Kakashi spread his legs in front of him with a slight huff, leaning back on his hands while he caught his breath, and Rin sat on her lower legs, fanning herself with her hand. Minato was seated with his right knee propped up beside her, and Obito sat cross-legged on his left side next to Kakashi, finishing their small circle.

"I say we give it another round," Obito said, lifting his left fist up. He was grinning, excitement weighing in on him. This was the most fun their team had in a while, making them feel drained, yet incredibly refreshed. They all welcomed the change of pace… except Kakashi.

Kakashi looked at his wits end underneath his mask, envisioning himself inflicting corporal punishment on the child for being such a nuisance to their mission. _I hope I never have children._ "Can we at least _spank_ him if we catch him, sensei?" _A little discipline goes a long way…_

Rin gave him an accusing look, hoping he could sense it under her cover-up. She slowly began shaking her head as she glanced to her sensei for instruction. "Minato-sensei, maybe it'd be better if Kakashi didn't go near him…?"

Minato chuckled, sounding wearisome, but he nodded, nonetheless. "Agreed." He glanced at the silver-haired child. "Kakashi, you'll be look out." Rin breathed a sigh of relief, placing her right hand over her heart. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if she ever saw a child being beaten, or perhaps she'd probably attack the abuser…

Kushina certainly would. Rin nodded. _Yep, she'd go all out._ Kushina could put fear in any poor soul foolish enough to be on the receiving end of her rage. _Sensei must miss her..._

Rin glanced up at Minato, knowing he was the foundation of the group that kept everything intact.

 _He's her polar opposite_ , Rin thought. _But they make a good match._ Her small smile of admiration turned into a slight frown the more she watched the respected man. _But I'm scared to see what could happen to us as we travel. Obito's cousin might've tried to hurt our future selves… and I don't want anything to happen to sensei and the others._

A sudden determination clouded her vision, making her dark eyes shine with hope. _Whatever wrong I see, maybe I can change it…_ She'd make sure this mission ended well. Beside her, Obito was hoping the same.

When Minato glanced down, he tilted his head, offering Rin a pleasant grin. Although Rin couldn't see it, she knew it was there, having received it often, and she gave him the same in return. She had been glad to be in his presence—as well as the comforts of her other teammates.

" _Naruto_!" someone shouted. "Get back here!"

 _Naruto?_ Minato thought. How could a name he'd never heard before sound so familiar?

"No way!" the little blond boy shouted back down below. His pitch was so loud and high that he sounded like an adorable, squeaking kitten.

Team Minato paused, deadpanned expressions as they watched a group of shinobi rush after Naruto. Once the commotion had passed, the four of them remained silent, watching their retreating backs, until Kakashi, who pointed in an aloof manner, decided to voice his success.

"Sensei," he said. "Target sighted. I've completed my mission as lookout." He gestured with his head towards the frustrated ninja who'd just ran by while he laid down on the roof to get some rest. "Obito, Rin, retrieve the brat."

Minato fought the urge to face-palm, but his hand raised slightly. He opted to rest it on his knee instead. _All this to catch a little boy?_

Obito had gone quiet for a while, fixated on one spot, and Rin noticed, touching his shoulder. "Obito," she asked, brows furrowing. "What are you looking at?"

Obito lifted his index finger in the direction of the Hokage Mountain, eyes serious as he took off his mask. "It's…"

Rin followed his gaze, gasping at what she saw. "It's Minato-sensei!"

Minato simply stared over at the mountain with a collected gaze. He wasn't surprised. Hiruzen had already informed him that he'd been chosen as his successor over Orochimaru… He wondered what had become of the man in this time period.

Obito gave his sensei a look of admiration, while Rin touched the Uchiha's shoulder, squeezing it with excitement.

"I'm proud of you, Minato-sensei," Rin stated. _Never thought I'd be saying that to sensei. It's usually the other way around…_ When she'd first learned that she'd be the student of the Yellow Flash, she was in awe of his high ranking status, but now that she knew he'd be Hokage, she felt starstruck, enchanted even, that she got the privilege to work with someone so accomplished—to have the honor of fighting along side him during his rise from a shinobi to Hokage.

The fact that he was so modest in his achievements made him all the more likable, a true hero in her eyes.

Kakashi casually lifted his thumb from where he rested. "What Rin said, sensei." Typical Kakashi encouragement.

Obito agreed with several, forceful nods. "Right, right! What Rin said! Way to _go,_ sensei!"

"Calm down," Minato instructed, a humble smile gracing his lips as he ruffled Obito's hair. "And put your mask back on." The Yellow Flash didn't want to boast about his position; it wasn't a trait that he'd been accustomed to. Instead, he rose on his feet quickly, hoping his students wouldn't ponder too much on the future. "We really need that kunai." Rin and Obito stood with him as he said, "I think we can use the other shinobi to distract Naruto while we counter his positions."

Both teammates agreed, nodding. "Right," they said.

Minato paused, glancing at Kakashi. _If I have Obito stay here with him, another fight's bound to break out… Who can I trust more on this?_ "...Rin, stay with Kakashi." It was a no-brainer.

She nodded. "Right."

"I don't need to be babysat," Kakashi grumbled.

"And I don't need one of you getting attacked without backup," Minato clarified.

"But sensei, _your_ backup's _Obito_ ," Kakashi stated. That was his way of saying he was worried, and Minato had to grab Obito's shoulder before the little Uchiha could retort, or approach his silver-haired teammate.

"Let's go," Minato stated. Obito grumbled and placed his mask on, running ahead, but before Minato could run with him, he stopped himself.

He squatted next to Kakashi, giving the child a quick poke on the chest before he rested his forearms on his knees. "When you're done sunbathing, I need you be on the lookout for our target with Rin, okay?" There was a bit of playfulness in his tone, one that made Rin stifle a giggle.

Kakashi, ever the serious one, nodded. "Sure, sensei."

 _I'm hoping he'll find a way to loosen up once everything is said and done with this mission_ , Minato thought. After giving his students one final, worried glance, he hurried off after Obito in search of Naruto.

Kakashi sat up, watching him go, and beside him, Rin was doing the same. Neither were aware of the silver-haired shinobi that watched them with a haunted expression further off. In fact, if they'd paid just a tad more attention to their surroundings, like they were supposed to do instead of eyeing the Hokage Mountain for a second time, they'd have noticed an older Kakashi was preparing to attack them.

When both team members finally felt his presence, they stiffened. The older Kakashi was already too close for comfort, and the man's shadow towered over Kakashi's petite form, stretching past his exposed toes.

Rin started raising her kunai, prepared to fight the man. "Kakashi," she said warily.

"Hello there kids," the shinobi told them with a lax wave. He smiled with his right eye, crinkles forming at the edge of the corner as he tilted his head. "I can tell that you're not true Konoha shinobi, and I hope you have permission to be here, or there's a high possibility that you're going to die today." No pressure.

He knew the faces under the masks, having seen a piece of Minato's blond hair sticking out of his coverup earlier as proof, and also Obito's face just moments ago, but he thought them to be mere clones. Kakashi was determined to end the life of anyone who thought the idea of having his fallen comrades walking about so freely would be humorous.

It wasn't. If anything, it pained him to see them, to hear Rin's voice speak his name just now... It had to be a trick, a work of one of his enemies. _Maybe it's a genjutsu technique..._

Slaying these replicas would also open old wounds, but he couldn't imagine having another Konoha shinobi participate. It was _his_ team; _his_ problem.

He'd have to rectify the situation immediately.

* * *

"Get back here!" a shinobi shouted.

"Nuh-uh!" Naruto intoned. _Too many!_ He rounded the corner, skidding through the space between the open legs of his potential capturers, and he hurried off. Naruto easily jumped out of harm's way when one of the shinobi tried to catch him, laughing when the man collided into the wall Naruto had used for leverage during his jump.

It was when Naruto looked back to check on the other shinobi that he failed to notice a force of nature headed his way. A flash of yellow was all he saw before Minato snatched the kunai out out his hands. During that time, Obito grabbed Naruto's petite frame by the waist, and said, "Got'cha!" while dodge rolling to block the child from the force of his swift lunge.

They landed onto another a street so quickly that the other shinobi easily overlooked them, rushing by to search further off, near the Hokage Mountain.

The pair waited behind some abandoned carts and boxes, and Naruto was doing his best to claw at Obito's neck, since the Uchiha's face was guarded by his mask. "Let go of me!" he demanded in a hoarse squeak. Minato appeared beside them in an instant, eyeing the scene with a wearisome, but somehow humored, gaze. Naruto was a determined little thing, and highly rambunctious.

Once again, Minato was reminded of the cat mission.

Obito stood during the boy's attack, holding the tiny child at arm's length while Naruto kicked and made a fuss. In spite of it all, the Uchiha chuckled. "Rin was right. He's kind of cute, sensei!"

Naruto looked offended as he wrinkled his nose, and he flailed his arms around in a haughty manner, his hissy-fit in full force. "Put me down!"

Minato felt the child's pain, knowing it must be frustrating at that age to be taken seriously, especially if one's tone resembled something worth cuddling. Naruto looked no more than three or four, though. _Adorable little thing._ "Obito," Minato started. "We have the kunai now. We can let him—"

" _Gaaaaah_!" A piercing battle cry; that was the only warning Naruto gave for the damage he was about to ensue. He managed to viciously bite Obito's left forearm, and the Uchiha shrieked in surprise, dropping him to the ground. Naruto landed with a thud on his feet, watching with pride as Obito began nursing his bleeding limb.

The Uchiha gazed down at the little terror, who was glaring up at him with crossed arms. His fingers hovered over the oval shaped wound, and his dark fabric was getting soaked around the small area due to his crimson body fluid. "Y-You bit me…?"

Naruto gave him a haughty look of defiance. "I told you to put me down, dattebayo!"

Minato's brow arched upon hearing _that_ word... It sounded familiar to him. _That sounds like..._

"You _bit_ me!" Obito stated, voice rising. _Kakashi was right, for once._ "You _are_ a little brat...!"

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "My name's not Brat! It's Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna be Hokage!" Both members of Team Minato froze while Naruto aimed his small fist at Obito. "Remember that, dattebayo!"

Minato took a surprised step forward while he watched Naruto glare at his student. _Uzumaki…?_ "Datte…?" It was making sense now, the spiky blond hair, the blue eyes, Kushina's face shape… Unless the redhead had married some other blond shinobi, Minato assumed Naruto was definitely _his_ child. It was clear to see whose personality the tiny tot had taken, but Minato wondered why Naruto didn't have his surname.

It didn't make sense, not that he cared too much... _although_...

 _Did Kushina not want Naruto to have my surname?_

Obito had caught on to who Naruto was after hearing that spirited introduction as well, having seen a glimpse of Kushina flash across the child's face the moment he'd spoken it. The Uchiha glanced at Minato, and then his gaze slowly traveled back to Naruto. He repeated the action multiple times, the future baffling him.

 _Wow_ , was all the Uchiha could think. _I wonder what me and Rin are doing in this time…_ He already caught a glimpse of Kakashi reading his _questionable_ novel, so that was the silver-haired boy's fate... but Obito's enthusiasm to see if he had the courage to admit his feelings to his teammate weighed heavy on him.

Obito hoped that Rin still had that natural glow about her whenever she smiled… The sweet gesture made everything stop, like it was just the two of them against the world, unless the grin was directed Kakashi. Then Obito would feel like he always had, as if it were Kakashi's world, and he was a mere stepping stone on his way to success...

Naruto paused, tilting his head curiously at the silent duo. It was so quiet that it was deafening, and he didn't like it at all. This new development caused him to pout, but he also realized that this was the first time people had taken interest in him since... well, since his new friend that he'd met earlier that day.

It was a welcomed feeling.

Minato was at a loss for words at the moment, greeting the silence as he approached little Naruto. _That pout_ , he thought. _Definitely Kushina's... I wonder,_ w _ould be alright if I held him...? He is my son, after all? Would he recognize my touch, my voice...?_ He shook his head. _I spoke earlier and he didn't seem familiar with the sound..._ Minato was excited, and a little shy, to meet the boy, having no real family himself growing up.

So many questions flooded his mind while he debated on what he should do, what to _say_. He kept starting to approach, only to pause mid-step and retreat back to his previous position. _I... I have son? Kushina and I, we have a child together..._

The Yellow Flash had secretly lost his equanimity, but the slip-up was validated.

 _Does he have siblings?_ Minato asked himself. He shook his head again, touching the right side while feeling a headache forming. _Why isn't he in preschool? And where's Kushina...?! And... and he's staring at me..._ Should _I try picking him up?_ The kid was a biter, for sure. He was definitely hesitant.

Beside him, Obito was grinning like an idiot. _Aw, sensei... scoop 'em up!_ he secretly encouraged. He wanted to witness the man hold his future son. _Do it, do it!_ The Uchiha held his breath when Minato slowly began reaching for the child, and he froze, anticipation keeping him in place. _Be careful about those teeth, sensei..._

There was an immediate sense of protection when Minato had first laid eyes on the boy—not enjoying the idea of a child running around with a kunai—but the feeling amplified once he'd found out the boy shared his DNA, that Naruto was his own flesh and blood.

Naruto was hesitant to move, unsure of what he should do. No one had _ever_ bothered with him, so this was a new experience… but he felt a soft aura lingering around the stranger, much different from the Uchiha who had him dangling at arm's length earlier... _Home?_ he thought. He glared at Obito, who was making a sort of 'shooing' motion for Naruto to go forward. _He's weird._ But Naruto focused on the feeling he felt from before as he glanced back at Minato, loving it.

 _Home._

He confused the word with the other emotion he was feeling, with _trust_ , his sense of security—a feeling of _love_. That's the sensation that Naruto sensed radiating from the masked man who waited on a response, arms still spread.

Out of various forms of neglect, Naruto slowly extended his arms towards him, craving a hug he never had, and Minato lifted him gently in his arms, embracing the child with a contented sigh. Naruto watched on curiously, not understanding why someone in the village would suddenly take the time to show him such affection, but he certainly wasn't complaining. He'd cherish this hug always, even if it was from a mere acquaintance.

What a pity it was for the unloved to search for, and accept, any method of comfort that came their way during their time alone.

"Who're you?" Naruto asked, adjusting himself on Minato's right side. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, and he even propped his arm on Minato's shoulder, relaxing. When he reached for the man's mask, Minato leaned his head back, grabbing the child's wrist.

"Someone who...," Minato whispered softly, stopping himself with a smile. _I'm the one who loves you most in this world, Naruto, just like your mother._

Naruto pointed at his mask, blue eyes intrigued. "Do you know Tobi, too?" The squeak in his voice caused a grin to appear on Minato's lips, one that wasn't leaving anytime soon. Naruto had his undivided attention.

Minato paused, slightly confused. "Who's Tobi, Naruto?"

"My new friend," he answered with bright eyes. "He's my first one."

"Oh really?"

Obito could hear the smile in his sensei's tone, opting to give them some privacy. He bowed slightly to his sensei, waiting on Minato to give him leave. When the man gave him a quick nod, Obito hurried off to go join Kakashi and Rin as lookouts. _Congrats, sensei… I just hope the future me doesn't do anything to screw up your life..._

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto piped up, eyes shining with excitement. He nodded with vigor. "Tobi says he'll be my new friend if I keep that—" He pointed at the kunai sticking out of Minato's black belt. "Away from the people in the white fox masks, like you."

Ah...

Minato stiffened, gently placing Naruto back on the ground while he folded his arms, contemplating his next move. _If he needs younger Obito, why in the world is he playing mind games with my son? Just what is he trying to achieve...?_

Naruto peered up at him, missing the contact of the mysterious man, but he crossed his arms as well, mimicking his new friend. It was fun for him. When Minato glanced down and saw this, Naruto gave him a wide grin, revealing a missing tooth on the right side of his gums.

 _Too cute_ , Minato thought. He couldn't wait to marry Kushina and watch Naruto grow up. They'd never have a dull moment. "...Naruto? What did Tobi look like?"

"Um…?" Naruto hovered his hand near his face, spinning it in a circular motion while giving Minato a shrug. "He had a orange mask."

Minato made a noise of discomfort, slightly enraged by the news. "Obito," he whispered to himself.

Naruto tugged on the fabric of Minato's leg, pouting. "No, no! His name's _Tobi_ , dattebayo! _Tobi!_ "

 _Kushina_ , Minato thought to himself. _I can't wait for us to meet him… so precious..._ And suddenly the idea of only having a girl made little sense to him. Naruto seemed troublesome, yes, but in that moment Minato realized that the gender of his offspring didn't matter. Whatever they were, however they acted, he'd loved them the same way he loved Naruto in that instant, with his undying affection.

Minato knelt, taking Naruto's right hand in his left. It was so tiny in comparison to his, but Naruto squeezed it back all the same, loving the new attention he was getting. "Naruto, where is Tobi now?"

Naruto huffed, eyes rolling upwards while he remembered what the man had told him. "He said he's 'already gone,'" Naruto replied, nodding to himself. "But he'll be back. He _promised_."

"Did he?" Minato asked, although it was more to himself. They'd have to return to this time later, but for now, their business was needed where the older Obito had vanished off to. However, there were still a few questions that Minato had for his son. "Naruto, where are your parents so I can take you to them?" _He should be safe as long as he's with me and Kushina, but I can't just barge into the Hokage Residence… unless…_

He thought of the leaf necklace that Hiruzen had given him. _I can use that, but Hiruzen's stepped down by now since I've taken his place. It won't matter... I'm sure my older self will remember this mission. He'll let me return Naruto safely._

Naruto blinked at him, a dark frown appearing on his lips. This stranger was an odd one to him, asking him such a peculiar question. Everyone in the village knew Naruto had no family, that he was an orphan. "I dunno," he finally answered.

"That's alright," he stated. "I'll take you to them."

Naruto's brows rose, and he parted his lips to speak. He was confused with the situation, but someone had taken interest in him, so he simply quieted. He thought if Minato found out that he had no family, he wouldn't be his friend anymore, a childish reason not to tell the truth, but Naruto was in fact quite young. "'Kay...?"

Minato took Naruto's right hand, leading him down the street, an adorable stroll taking place. He thought it was alright to return Naruto home, since the child had informed him of older Obito's absence. His team was safe because of this, so there wasn't much room for fret at the moment. Besides, what kind of father would he be if he left Naruto, a child who looked no more than a few years, to walk home by himself? "...How old are you now, Naruto?" he asked softly.

Four digits raised, twirling. "This many!" With every step Minato took, Naruto had to take three pitter-patters to keep up, but he didn't seem to mind. He was enjoying the man's company. "How old are you?" he asked curiously.

"Old enough," Minato stated with a chuckle. "But not too old." He was actually quite young in age, twenty-one to be exact, and he'd die at the fresh age of twenty-five later, on the birth night of his son.

The answered seemed to be acceptable to Naruto, who nodded. "Cool..." He quieted when they arrived on a busy street, squeezing Minato's hand with a sudden fear. Minato almost questioned the action as they walked, until he heard the whispers from the villagers.

"It's _him_ ," someone said. They sounded disgusted.

"Foolish man," someone spoke up. "Doesn't he know that boy's cursed?"

This made Minato pause. _Everyone_ was treating his son as if he were a walking plague, like a sinner among saints ready to cast the first stone of judgement.

Naruto had visibly shied away from their glares, leaning his face into Minato's hand and gripping the fabric of his pants with his free hand. _I dunno why they get so mad at me..._

Minato was baffled, perplexed even, at this sudden revelation. _Why in the world…? They'd treat_ _my_ _son like this_ — _the_ _Hokage's_ _son like_ this _?_

"I should warn you," an elderly, male villager said in a stern voice. "That boy's nothing but trouble."

Minato frowned under his mask, his anger rising. Surely they wouldn't treat _his_ son that way, given his high ranking position. If Kushina were there to see, she'd smack them all in the face. "...Do you even know him?" he asked. He'd spoken it with authority, but there was still a slight sensibility in his voice, ever the composed one.

The question had made Naruto gaze up at him, grateful, yet stunned.

The man scoffed. "We don't have to know him; we know what he's capable of."

"Which is?" Minato questioned. Naruto felt his hand being squeezed slightly, the action making him smile. Someone cared about him.

The villagers had no answer for the Yellow Flash, because they honestly didn't know themselves. It had been a secret between the third, and a select few shinobi, as to why Naruto should be feared.

After receiving no answer, Minato reached down for Naruto, scooping him up and hurrying off.

For the villagers of Konoha to hate Naruto simply _because_ made Minato question his people. _Surely, they wouldn't be spooked by mere gossip over a_ child _?_

* * *

It was later, when they landed near the Hokage residence that Naruto frowned at him. "Why're we here?" the child asked. He knew this wasn't his address. His home was further off, and it wasn't nearly as welcoming.

Hiruzen had just exited, his Hokage attire still intact. There were more age lines on his tanned skin, and some moles here and there on his face, but Minato still recognized the man. He immediately took off his mask when the four shinobi around Hiruzen got defensive.

"Third Hokage...?" Minato greeted, baffled. Naruto was still pouting in his arms at Hiruzen, burying his face in the crook of his new friend's neck to avoid eye contact. The child didn't want to be scolded for his existence again today, and frankly, he had a slight headache from the encounter with the villagers earlier.

 _The time traveling mission…_ Hiruzen thought. _I had high hopes that I'd get to see you again at least once after your death, Minato._ Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe to maintain his bravado. _It's been too long…_ "Just to clarify: You are you in fact… _alive_?" he asked Minato, ignoring the questioning looks of his bodyguards.

"Yes. My team and I are on an A ranked mission," Minato said. He pulled a leaf necklace out of his pouch, raising it up. He lifted it slightly higher when Naruto tried to reach for it, smiling a little. "That _you_ sent us on, Third."

Hiruzen slowly pulled his pipe from his lips, eyeing Minato with a neutral gaze before he turned and headed back up the stairs. "Follow me," he instructed. He decided it best not to voice his feelings about Minato's return. As Hokage, he was the rock that kept everyone together, so he had to keep his emotions in check… but he missed the man, all the same.

"My students are with me," Minato reminded him, following him up the stairs. "I don't want to cause trouble while I'm here."

Hiruzen murmured something to a nearby bodyguard, and the shinobi took off. "They'll arrive shortly," he assured him. He had asked one of his guards to command Ebisu to seek out three youths in white fox masks...

As soon as they all entered the grand residence, the bodyguards dispersed, and Hiruzen slowly paced down the elongated hall. Minato paced behind in silence, while Naruto wondered when he'd get the chance to eat some ramen. Running around to find some fresh paint to steal for later use on the mountain was second on his To-Do List... The decisions of a four year old were agonizing.

"I understand that this may seem odd to you," Hiruzen spoke up as they walked.

"It does," Minato stated with a firm nod. He shared a brief glance with an impatient Naruto, who promptly rested his head on his shoulder again. A loving hand cradled the boy's head, brushing through the blond spikes. _Patience little Naruto..._ "Could you brief me on what's going on?"

"I must caution you to remain calm if I do, Minato," Hiruzen said as they entered a large room.

"Mi-na-to?" Naruto intoned.

The room they stepped into was blocked off by a sliding, paneled door and there was a red tatami carpet that covered majority of the wooden floor. The decorations were elegant in structure, and there were three, large portraits along the wall. Minato's was among them, right beside the previous Hokage's who'd perished.

It didn't take Minato long to catch on to what Hiruzen was showing him, but Naruto looked on in confusion. Ten seconds passed on in silence, while Hiruzen gathered his thoughts. Those ten quickly turned to twenty, then forty, and before either of them knew it, they'd remained quiet for nearly five minutes. The entire time, Hiruzen stared at Minato, wishing the man hadn't met such a tragic end, while Minato stared back at him, pale from the silent news.

Eventually, Naruto pointed at the pictures, remembering the familiar faces. "The dead guys on the mountain!" he said with surprise. He gasped, frowning up at Minato with a look of hurt in his eyes—as if he'd just watched the man take his last breath. "But… but then you're a _ghost_!"

"Naruto," Hiruzen warned, slightly sympathetic. He took pity on the boy when he saw tears form in his eyes.

"That's not fair, dattebayo!" he yelled, sniffling. Tiny fists, rubbed at his eyes. Naruto's only friend was a dead man, save for Tobi, and he felt remorse for Minato's death, even if he hadn't witnessed it. The mere _thought_ of it frightened him. He didn't understand what was fully going on; he just knew Minato wasn't supposed to be alive and that hurt him more than ever.

Hiruzen lowered his head, hiding his look of dismay under his conical hat. "Naruto…"

Minato rubbed soothing circles on Naruto's back, allowing the boy to cry for the both of them, since he'd blinked back a few tears. "Naruto," he said softly. "I'm very much alive right now," he assured him. _At least we have this moment... We've got today..._

"You're not _really_ dead... are you?" It had been an innocent, heartfelt question, but the severity of it impacted both adults in the room.

A noise of discomfort left Minato while he tried his best to process this new information. The fact that his son had so casually asked him a question concerning his death made him all the more uneasy. His dilemma was sinking in, full force and he thought the room to be swaying—or perhaps it was all in his head? _I'm dead…?_ It felt peculiar to think about. _I'm no longer… alive…?_ "What happened to me?" he asked in a whisper.

Hiruzen seated himself at the nearby table, waiting for Minato to do the same on the other side. Once his successor had, he reached forward and touched the man's left forearm, while Naruto seated himself in his lap, lips quivering and tear lines staining his cheeks. "Forgive me, friend," Hiruzen spoke up, placing his pipe on the table. "But I did what I thought was necessary…"

If he wasn't confused before, Minato certainly felt the emotion now. "...I don't understand."

"You died four years ago," Hiruzen stated, clasping his hands together on the table. "You... and Kushina."

More silence, but this time, it wasn't welcome.

"Ku... Kushina," Naruto whispered with furrowed brows.

"... _How_?" Minato asked quickly, slightly losing his equanimity. He almost stood, until he remembered that Naruto was seated in his lap. The shinobi had managed to keep his opinions to himself on everything pertaining to his tragic situation, but when it came to _Kushina_ …

 _Not Kushina..._

The redhead was the love of his life; strong, compassionate, vengeful at times, but still filled with love… She was _his_ , and Minato hers, true soulmates meant to grow old together, meant to raise their _child_ together... Minato wasn't taking the news well, and he almost wished that what he was hearing were a hoax.

Naruto was too young to fully understand. No four year old would be smart enough to consider time travel as the culprit of obtaining a new friend, so he tried his best to comprehend the information given with a pout, sniffling slightly at the thought. His petite frame curled into Minato's chest as if that'd be the last time he'd see his friend, and he felt that same feeling of trust when firm arms wrapped around him protectively.

That touch spoke volumes; fear, rage, love and despair...

If Naruto knew who Minato truly was, the tears produced would be unable to stop flowing, for the very thing Naruto wanted most in life—besides becoming Hokage—was right there beside him: someone he could call mother, or father, a parent.

Naruto wanted a person to love him and be there for him; he needed a kind soul who stuck around for knee scrapes and timeouts—who'd wait for him to fall asleep whenever he'd wake from nightmares. He required a parental figure, affection—all children did.

But low and behold, his dream of having one was gone before it had even began.

* * *

On the Konoha rooftops, Obito had used his Fire Style, Fireball jutsu, shooting it towards the direction of his attacker, who easily avoided it. He'd arrived there moments ago to find his teammates being hunted down by Kakashi's older self, and the man appeared to be out to kill them.

The Uchiha gazed to his left, watching Rin just miss getting slashed by the man, and his silver-haired teammate was attacking his older form head on. "Kakashi, don't!" he shouted.

The jonin glanced at his younger self with a lidded gaze as he deflected the hit from the tanto weapon, throwing the boy back a few yards with a simple toss. He crouched on the rooftop, resting his chin in his left hand. "You realize that I know all of your movements? You _are_ a younger replica of me, after all." His right hand began to glow with blue electricity, making Rin, who was further off, wary.

"Replica?" Kakashi asked himself, glaring. He threw some kunai at the man, determined to win against him. "I'm real." He hadn't anticipated the shinobi appearing behind him with an airborne attack, that same electrifying hand being aimed his way. Rin had guessed the movement before her teammates could, rushing to his aid.

" _Rin!_ " Obito rushed to stop her, sensing the impact would go straight through both her head, and Kakashi's, from that brutal angle.

Rin quickly positioned herself so that she stood with her back to Kakashi's. Her swift, fearless hands ripped off her mask, revealing a determined, slightly frightened, look in her eyes as she gave the older Kakashi a small glower. "Wait!" she shouted, spreading her arms. "We're your teammates, Kakashi!" _What happens in our time if we die here…?_

Even though the shinobi attacker hesitated his assault on Rin, the angle at which he was about to land—fist first— was going to maim the two comrades. Rin didn't even blink, gazing at the sight with discomfort while she began holding her breath, anticipating the mutilating impact…

She was stunned when she watched the man flip downward at last minute, crushing the rooftop they were standing on into mere pieces of nothing.

The four of them fell through the damaged hole in the ceiling, landing on top of the debris. The sounds of civilians shrieking, followed by rushed footsteps, surrounded them as they all recovered from the fall.

Obito's face mask had split in half during his impact, as did his goggles. "No way," he groaned, holding up his broken items. "See what you did?" He glared up at the older Kakashi. "You owe me."

The man said nothing in reply, unnerved by their presence. He kept his gaze lax as he sat in the rubble, though—classic Kakashi.

Rin was giving him an offended stare, her mask lost somewhere in the pile of debris. "You tried to kill us, Kakashi!" She was murmuring to herself now as she stood, dusting herself off. "I swear, I hope the older me smacks you good." Beside her, both teammates nodded.

The jonin blinked. "The older you…?" _If she thinks her older self is alive then…? She's not a clone, or she would've evaporated during the collide from the fall... Could this be the work of a time traveling jutsu...? But I don't remember this mission… How is that possible?_

Ebisu appeared near the rubble wearing a black bandana while he glanced at the younger Kakashi's fox mask. _There's one._ He cleared his throat, fixing his dark glasses. "Right. The third requests an audience with you immediately. I've been informed that your sensei is already... You're...?" _Obito and Rin...?!_ He gazed at Kakashi, who shrugged in response.

"Old mission," the jonin spoke up to clarify. He hadn't moved from his spot on the debris.

"The _third_?" the three teammates asked in unison.

Kakashi was arching his brow under his mask. "How come he's still giving orders?" _What about sensei?_

His older self had closed his visible eye, sighing.

Ebisu gasped, pointing at the boy. "Hey you! Have some respect!" He was sure the kid in question was a younger Kakashi, considering... _Rin and Obito_ , he thought. _They're alive...?_ He rubbed his temples. _I don't even want to know... but Kakashi..._ He gazed at the man. _How can you stand it...?_

He couldn't.

"Hold on." Obito stood, dusting himself off. "I'm not really getting this. Why the _third_?"

Rin agreed. "And where are you and I?"

"Maybe we're on a mission somewhere," Obito suggested, grinning. _Or on a date..._

Their teammate scoffed. "Or maybe you two got married and lived happily ever after," he droned.

Ebisu was focused on his comrade. "Kakashi—?"

"I know," the older Kakashi stated, gaze lidded as he opened his eye. He was unamused of the situation. "Spooked me, too..."

The Kakashi on Team Minato approached his older self, peering at him with a cross look. Too bad his mask hid it from view, but he knew removing it would cause more problems for his team if people saw two of himself.

A stare off began.

"...What?" the jonin asked, rising to his feet. He sounded tired, emotionally drained of life, and he ignored the small piece of wood that was sitting on his head, balanced by his spikes. Ebisu pitied him, brows furrowing.

The younger was secretly glaring at him. "You… you read dirty novels," Kakashi accused.

Puberty be damned.

...

 **A/N:** I'm not entirely sure there's a specific type of dialogue of a 4 year old child. I've seen some who are articulate and can form complete, basic sentences while some still sound like underdeveloped two year olds. All children develop differently, I'm sure... I just based Naruto's character off of a friend's four year old. That little guy was my reference lol

I'm not sure if this chapter flowed the exact way I wanted, but I did chop out a few scenes out so it wouldn't drag too much. I also wanted to make sure that Minato and Naruto got enough scene time. I really didn't want to have his character be like "Oh, yeah that's my son, but we gotta go, so it's whatever. It can't be helped..." I think even if he is a level-headed man, he'd still kind of freak out about meeting his future child. Lastly, I'm not having Hiruzen tell Minato every little detail, but he's going to explain the gist of it. Prepare for a real fight scene, too.

 **Anyone's welcome to leave a comment, or hit a button below, or raid the fridge like I'm about to do, and thanks for reading y'all. :)**

 **Reply to guest review:** Yaaaaas! It's not just me lol I was actually going to have Team Minato go through every time event in order but I thought that'd be too cliche and it left little room for them to gather information about themselves as the story progressed, so I changed it. Thanks for commenting!


	4. Only the Good Die Young

**A/N: So for future Obito analysis about what's actually underneath that mask, which won't be revealed until later: Refer to the Vitruvian Man drawing. That's not the** _ **entire**_ **concept I'm aiming for but it's the best hint I can give you all, and it kind of does canon justice without actually being canon...? …Yep. That sounds about right.**

 **Replies to Guest Reviews at bottom!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Only the Good Die Young**

Death is life's biggest fear.

Naruto hadn't even grasped the concept of dying to it's fullest—like most humans hadn't—but he knew whatever the ordeal, he wasn't willing to accept such a fate for Minato. It didn't seem reasonable to gain a friend, only to have already lost him before the friendship had even started. The idea aggravated the child, knowing he couldn't win for losing, and he eventually cried himself to sleep.

Stray tears of rage and anguish fell from Naruto's concealed eyes as he dreamed of an alternate world where he had parents, with Minato being one of them. He couldn't quite envision a mother figure from his daily life just yet—having no female around that showed him enough compassion to consider her as a candidate, so he opted to make a woman with pale skin, long, black hair...

No.

Naruto had suddenly changed the color as he slept, dreaming of crimson strands to compliment the woman's fair skin and oval shaped face. Her hair was perfect in her eyes, rivaling a tomato—although he hated the fruit. He wasn't sure what color eyes he wanted her to have just yet, but he pictured her always smiling at him. Her name was unknown, but he just settled for calling her _mama_. For that brief moment, Naruto felt safe in his own little world, even if that world was a figment of his imagination.

Minato had been observing the way his son slept the entire time, while Naruto rested his head on the older blond's right shoulder. A small cooing sound could be heard as Naruto dreamt in his REM state, and his heartbeat felt relaxed. It was thumping in steady rhythms against his father's, who was holding him as if he'd never let go, and he smiled when he saw a bit of drool drizzling down from the corners of his son's mouth.

 _Kyūbi attack…?_ Minato thought, his pleasant gesture diminishing. _Someone... released it…?_ "But what happened to the _Kyūbi_?" Minato asked from where he sat. "Who defeated it?"

Hiruzen's eyes remained fixated on Naruto, and he opted to remain silent. _Minato..._

It didn't take long for Minato to catch on to what the man was implying.

 _No..._ Minato was shaking his head in sluggish movements, trying his best to fathom the news. "A child isn't capable of holding—"

"Only half of it is contained within Naruto."

"… _Half_?"

"The Yang, yes…"

"…Where is the Yin?" _Who in their right mind would be foolish enough to seal half of the Kyūbi's chakra in_ my _son…? Surely Kushina wouldn't have suggested this…?_

 _Unless…_

"It died with you…" Hiruzen stated, watching Minato's expression carefully. "After you sealed it within yourself…" As Minato's face twisted into guilt, he added, "I understand that this must be difficult to process."

It took Minato longer than expected to respond, and he had a pained look in his eye when he gazed back at Hiruzen. It was subtle, not enough to make one question if he were on the verge of tears, but enough to make anyone that knew him understand that he was internally torturing himself for what he'd done—for the unfortunate, miserable life his son was living now.

Minato always put the village, his family, and his friends first—even before his own life. They were more important…

And yet… when he had to choose, Konoha was of greater value than being there for his son. That's all Minato's mind kept screaming at him the moment Hiruzen had revealed the secret.

 _I chose the village over my own son…?_

Truthfully, he'd chosen both, saving _everyone_ that night. However, victory was bittersweet—the justified scenario seemed a bit unpardonable when comparing it with the aftermath in question: Naruto becoming a jinchūriki and having the entire village Minato worked so hard to save treat his son as if he weren't even worth the dust under their ungrateful feet.

"… _I_ did this?" Minato asked in a whisper, although it was more to himself. Weary eyes gazed down at Naruto. "I did this to you…?" His expression was a troubled one as he absently brushed a few of Naruto's spikes out of his eyes. Eventually, he asked, "Did you know my reasoning behind such a decision? Or was I simply protecting the village?" _Was there no other solution?_

Hiruzen took a moment to choose the appropriate words. "...I've always thought it to be solely for the village, and at the time of the sealing, using anyone else's child would've seemed cruel… Don't you think?"

Minato nodded, although it was grim and vague.

After clearing his throat, Hiruzen, said, "I didn't fault your judgment back then, Minato. No one did, and none of us who know about the circumstances ever will. You saved the village."

 _The village…?_

Minato wasn't sparing Hiruzen a glance now, too absorbed in the precious life he was holding. _I don't fault my judgment on protecting Konoha, either… but I do question the life I chose for my son—the life he had no say in because of me…_

 _But he is_ my _son._ Minato sighed, taking in every little action Naruto made. When Naruto stirred, he carefully held the boy's right hand, rubbing his thumb over the small knuckles. "Naruto," he whispered, eyes clouded with regret.

 _I let you down... For you to grow up without your mother and I, to have this village neglect you because of a choice_ I _made…_

 _I'm sorry..._

"Minato," Hiruzen called softly.

Minato gently squeezed Naruto's hand. _I won't get to be there._

 _I'll miss everything…_

He was only eager to see this mission through in hopes to see glimpses of Naruto now, even if the encounters were brief. This mission would hold the only memories he carried of himself and Naruto, and had he known he'd die in such a way on Naruto's birth, he would've requested that Kushina could've gotten the opportunity to travel on the mission with him.

Every moment he'd have with Naruto now was going to feel rare, precious, and restricted. He couldn't even tell the child everything he'd hoped to tell him due to what The Third had requested about not altering the future…

But if Minato were given the option, he'd have held his four-year old forever with Kushina by his side—or perhaps, if Kushina had her say, it'd be the other way around… He smiled fondly at that idea, wishing he could freeze time. _Kushina, if only you could meet him…_

It was a beautiful sight to see, such a lovely display of affection, and as his three teammates paced in with Ebisu and Kakashi leading the way, they observed quietly, appreciating the tender moment.

The older of the two Kakashi's looked on as he maneuvered to the farthest side of the room, masking his compunction and anxiety behind his lax stare, while Rin eyed the sleeping child with a doting gaze. It didn't take her long to figure out that the boy her sensei was holding was his future child; the blond spikes were proof enough.

It _did_ , however, take her another second or two to zero in on her sensei's expression.

His brows were drawn together, and she could practically _feel_ the tension in the room as The Third looked at him from where he sat. She also took note of the tear stains on the child's cheek, how they fell even as he dreamed, and the comforting way Minato used his thumb to brush the falling displays of sadness from his face.

 _Something's wrong…_ she thought. _But what? What did The Third say to them?_ Rin carefully glanced around the room as Hiruzen began speaking to Ebisu and Kakashi, while her two teammates approached Minato. The room was large, beautiful—even down to the handcrafted wood—and upon first glance, she saw nothing out of the ordinary that could give away why the child had been crying…

Perhaps it was just a tantrum.

 _He could've been denied something_ , she thought. That seemed like the most logical explanation for a child his age.

It wasn't until she backtracked, and her eyes skimmed over the three pictures along the wall, that she did a double take.

There was a picture, three of them… the fallen Kages...

 _Is that really…?_

'Minato-sensei…?' she mouthed to herself.

Somewhere in the afterlife, death was laughing at her—at all of them, really.

Rin's body involuntarily froze, and for a few seconds, she didn't hear any of the words being exchanged around the room. All she could think about was dying—her sensei—her teammate—her _friend_ , forever gone …

 _Lifeless._

It made no sense to her whatsoever. She couldn't grasp the news because of the disbelieve clouding her thoughts.

"…This encounter is not to become gossip," Hiruzen had spoken. "But the Anbu guard has already been informed."

"Of course not, Third," Ebisu assured him. Kakashi hadn't spoken, but he gave a slight bow of his head.

When Rin found the courage to move, she felt eyes on her. Slowly, her eyes trailed over to the older Kakashi's. _Is…_ _is_ _sensei really… dead?_ Her thoughts were clear to him, although she hadn't uttered a word.

Kakashi simply answered with a barely noticeable nod before focusing on what Hiruzen had started speaking again.

Rin took a step back to prevent herself from loosing her footing, her lips parting. The floor felt unbalanced, or perhaps her equilibrium was the cause due to the traumatic news, but she caught herself from completely toppling over by using the wall for leverage. Her right hand pressed against it with slight tremors in her fingers, and she was using her free palm to touch her forehead in her new, disoriented state.

Her confusion and sadness quickly morphed into rage, like her sensei's had earlier at the revelation, and she slowly shook her head. "Why?" she murmured to herself. Rin's right hand curled into a fist as she questioned this entire mission. "How did this happen?" The determination she had on the rooftop earlier deterred, and she wasn't sure what to make of her current status.

This wasn't what she envisioned happening to Minato, not dying and leaving his child behind, not _this_ … and what about—

 _Kushina?_ she thought. Her emotions were becoming flooded with frantic 'what if' scenarios. _Where's Kushina…?_

Surely Kushina was still alive to care for her child…?

"Uh, Rin," Obito called her. "Are you okay…?" He hadn't noticed the picture just yet, even after Rin glanced at it for the final time.

Beside him, Kakashi had followed her line of vision, immediately wishing he hadn't while Minato carefully stood so he wouldn't wake Naruto. The silver-haired boy's eyes darted towards Rin, who was shaking her head at Obito as the Uchiha rushed over to check on her. A slight hitch of breath was heard coming from Kakashi, barely there, and it cut off as if he were being choked. His eyes had widened, but he forced himself to try and look unfazed when he noticed his sensei staring down at him.

Kakashi opted to turn his head away, shaking it in disbelief. _This is…? Sensei… he… he_ dies _in the future...? So early…?_

The man he looked up to was going to die young if time continued…

The feeling the silver-haired boy felt was similar to when he saw his father's corpse, right after the man had taken his own life… Kakashi stiffened when Minato used his free hand to touch his shoulder, almost as if his brain had processed that Minato had already died and a mobile corpse was now touching his shoulder.

If this was the future, Kakashi wished that they'd forever be stuck in the past.

As Obito stood in front of Rin, he hesitantly said, "Please tell me what's wrong, Rin…" His hands hovered near her, as if he were preparing to catch her if she fell.

"Obito, I… I don't understand this," Rin said, causing everyone to gaze at her. She kept her eyes on the older Kakashi's while her vision blurred with tears, but they hadn't fallen just yet. They remained at the corners, on the brink of spilling out. "Kakashi…?" Her speech had come out in a whisper to the man.

A familiar pain twisted the man's heart upon hearing her use his name. "…Yes?"

"…Where's Kushina?"

The older Kakashi looked towards Hiruzen, wondering if it was acceptable to speak. When the The Third nodded, he glanced at Rin. "Dead." Even hearing the news for the second time, Minato felt the sting, closing his eyes briefly. The hand he had on the silver-haired boy's shoulder, tensed, and Kakashi peered up at him.

 _Sensei..._ Kakashi mused.

Obito appeared to be baffled, and he tilted his head. "W- _what_ …?" His voice was rising. "What do you mean she's _dead_?! How'd she die?!"

" _Dead_?" Rin asked herself, shaking her head again. "She's dead..." It didn't seem real. None of this did. "But... how…?"

"That's gotta be a lie!" Obito protested, not realizing he was screaming.

The older Kakashi didn't spare the boy a glance as he said, "I see no reason to hide the truth." Although he sounded calm, there was a slight sullenness to his voice.

"But—!"

"Shut up." His teammate had spoken it with slight venom in his low tone, clearly not taking any of the news well. "It's _sensei's_ business, not ours." Minato actually looked slightly surprised by the small outburst.

Obito glared at the boy, taking a step forward with his fists clenched. "We're a team! This is my business, too—it's _our_ business!"

"Whatever…" It was spoken at a barely there volume, low enough that no one noticed the slight quiver in the broken tone, except Minato. The Yellow Flash could tell his student was daunted by the information, wishing the boy would let the wall he'd built up down, if only for a moment. He knew the boy was hurting as much as his two teammates. They all cared about her.

Kakashi's older self had yet to even give Obito a glance while he scrutinized Rin's face. It had twisted into various emotions, ranging from anger, a bit of betrayal, and resting on fear…

"And us…?" Rin asked, voice soft and unsure. Her brows knitted as she mustered enough courage to ask about herself. "I see you," she said. She removed herself from the wall, lifting her right hand. Her index finger aimed at Obito before she placed it on her chest. "But where are _we_?"

The man didn't speak, and Hiruzen picked up on his discomfited position. It wasn't within Kakashi to explain the situation to Rin, not _her_ death. He'd never have it in him to explain, not to Rin, not like this—and in such unforgiving circumstances, too…

He was simply unable to reply.

"Where are we?" Rin asked again. " _Please..._ Tell me, Kakashi."

Addressing him as if it were routine…

After such a gruesome end…

His silence indicated everything, and she began wishing she hadn't asked at all.

Hiruzen finally picked up his pipe and stood. "…Your tombstone can be found at the gravesite. Obito has a memorial in memory of him farther off." The way he just so casually explained the information while placing his pipe in his mouth made even Ebisu inhale a sharp breath of air.

However, there was no easy way to reveal something so grim. Everyone knew this.

Minato felt numb to the news, wishing for the mission to end sooner rather than later, until he remembered who their masked enemy was. _Just Rin and I died then…? Did I have something to do with Rin's death…?_ He'd never forgive himself if that were the case.

Minato stiffened at the thought, and Naruto stirred in his arms again. Before he could ask further about the subject, Obito shouted, "That's a lie!"

"Obito," Minato chided. "That's The Third you're speaking to. Show some respect."

"But… we're not dead, Minato-sensei!" The Uchiha was shaking his head while he took a step back from everyone. "I…" His head shook with vigor. "We're just _not_ , okay?!" _Did_ I _do this…?! Did I let Rin…? I let her die…?!_

"Kakashi," Hiruzen spoke up. "You're dismissed."

The older Kakashi bowed at The Third. "Excuse me." He said nothing else as he briskly paced out of the room, his younger self hurrying after him in an attempt to find answers to these haunting revelations. Minato and Hiruzen said nothing as they watched them go, but eventually Hiruzen gazed at Ebisu once the commotion had ceased. "You may go as well."

Ebisu bowed and paced off, vagueness in his eyes. He hadn't spoken unless addressed, too stunned by today's events. He knew The Third would speak to him later and make sure that word didn't get around about The Fourth's surprise visit, though…

 _I did this…_ Obito was having a nervous breakdown. _I let Rin die…? But how the heck...?_ He touched both sides of his head, gripping at his hair to try and figure out this misleading information.

 _That doesn't make any sense!_ Obito screamed. _If we're going through time chasing_ me _then… then…_ I'm _not really dead…_ He peered over at Rin, who had sunk to her knees, hands touching the floor. _But Rin is…_ Obito gulped, his mind guilt-ridden while he gazed at Minato.

 _Did I kill Rin…?!_

"Sensei," he practically begged. _Help me fix this…_

"Obito," Minato finally spoke up. He was shaking his head. "I know what you're thinking, but stop. Blaming yourself won't—"

"But everything's my fault!" Obito shouted, rushing out of the room. _I want us to go back to_ our _time!_ His sentiments were similar to Kakashi's, both wanting to remain in the past in a never-ending cycle of familiarity. Nothing about this time seemed pleasant enough to accept.

Rin was frowning, and she quickly used her forearm to wipe at her eyes before any tears could fall. "I don't understand why we all…" She gazed at Minato. "Why did this happen? — _How_ did this happen?"

"Confidential," Hiruzen stated.

She tried her best not to glare at him. "They're _our_ lives," she retorted. "We'll find out eventually. Why not tell us now?" She had a point. Rin was always a rational thinker.

Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, sighing. The smoke left his nostrils as he did this, and Rin patiently waited for a reply. Eventually, he turned to Minato. "Perhaps you should take Naruto home and say your final goodbyes. The man you're looking for has left."

Rin's face faltered slightly upon being dismissed, but out of respect for The Third, she bit her tongue to prevent anymore protest. Obviously he had a reason for not telling her what had happened…

"Sensei," she spoke up, standing. She'd found a bit of resolve, and it was best for her worry about fixing both her and Obito's death _after_ they managed to leave this period and find his cousin. As a ninja, she'd put Konoha first and complete her mission. "May I come…?" She didn't want to intrude, but she needed a quick distraction from the news that had been revealed, and she was curious about where Naruto lived.

Blond brows lifted in surprise, until he offered her a weary smile. "Ah, yes. I'd like that."

Hiruzen nodded. "Obito and Kakashi shouldn't be difficult to find once you're finished."

Minato shook his head. "I just marked Kakashi." It had been in the shoulder touch. _If I'm right, he and Obito should be arguing by the time I get there._

* * *

Kakashi chased after his older self, who was pacing down the stone steps of the residency. "Why are you running away?" he asked the man.

The older shrugged casually. "I'm not running. I'm walking with purpose."

Kakashi performed a high, aerial jump down the steps, landing in front of him with a slight click of his open-toe shoes. When he righted himself, he said, "I need to know what happened. Tell me."

"You're in no position to give _me_ orders."

Under his mask, Kakashi was frowning. " _Please_ ," he said as the man passed him. "Tell me so I can fix it." He didn't want his teammates, and Kushina, to die.

The command made the man stop and he turned, facing him. After a short standoff, he began beckoning his younger self forward, curling his finger.

When the boy approached him, he touched both sides of his shoulders, examining how he used to look. _There's little humanity in there…_

The boy's brows were furrowing, and there was annoyance in his tone. "Look, can you help me, or are you going to stare all day? I just want to save my teammates." Upon blurting out this confession, he tensed, taking a step back. "I…" He felt embarrassed by the words, knowing that saving his team didn't pertain to the mission at hand. His only task was defeating Obito's cousin. _Now I sound like… like_ Obito _…_ He may have disliked the Uchiha at times, but he'd never wish the boy dead.

He'd also never admit it, either.

"You'll need those," his older self stated, tapping the boy's chest. He smiled with his right eye; the crinkles in the corner were proof of that—and the way he inclined his head. "They're worth more than you think."

"What is?"

"Your emotions," the man said simply. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, giving the boy a lazy stare. "I've always wondered what I'd say to my younger self if I could time travel… but now that I see you, I'd prefer not to tell you anything."

Kakashi glared at him, offended. "Why not?"

"Because those deaths are what made me," he stated, casually pacing away.

The boy didn't understand, and he gazed at the shinobi's retreating back. "Those deaths are what made you…? Then they're what made _me_ …" _But... what if I don't want to grow up to be like you. What if I want to be someone else?_ The man before him appeared to be a walker of nothing, and he didn't want that life for himself.

Kakashi debated on heading back inside to see about his sensei and Rin, but once he thought of Obito's retreat… _He's always causing sensei trouble…_ The silver-haired child ran ahead in search of the boy, _unmasked_ along the rooftops.

* * *

Obito had been blindly running through the outskirts of the village until he'd lost his footing. During his slip-up, he landed on his hands and knees, slamming his fists into the ground several times while crying out in an unbreakable feeling of woe and resentment. "Not fair," he whispered, sniffling a little. "What did I do...?" He'd spoken it so softly, so hushed as if he were afraid someone would answer. Eventually, he hunched forward and pressed his forehead protector against the dirt, feeling worn out. His breaths were ragged while fresh tears rolled down his cheeks and he gave the earth one final slam with his right fist before he sat up.

"Why would I do that to Rin?" he asked himself. _Not_ her… _It doesn't make sense._

He loved her.

"I couldn't kill her…"

"Couldn't you?"

Obito startled, jumping to his feet as he whirled around, and tripping in the process. He was quick to catch his footing before he could fall on his back, and his index finger rose towards his older self. " _Y-you!_ "

The man simple waved in greeting. "Me."

"It was… _you_ killed Rin!"

The older chuckled rather uncomfortably at the idea. "Did I? That's not how I remember it."

"What's _wrong_ with you?!" Obito asked. His body was taut and his expression guarded by a heavy glower.

The man's head tilted at an odd angle while he spread his arms. "What _isn't_ …?"

Obito's brow arched as heard the man speak, and he took a cautious step back. The way he'd spoken that sentence… Obito heard something in his tone— _two_ distinct voices. The levels of his pitch rose and fell between that of a man and that of a boy as he spoke, reminding him of a seesaw effect. During the middle of the two pitch changes, his voice sounded mangled, not even close to having an ounce of benevolence—and it was clear to anyone from that simple question that he was less than sane.

"Who… _what_ are you?" Obito asked, a bit of fear in his voice. _What happened to me in the future?_

When the man took a step forward, the little Uchiha retreated three feet back. "You've known me all your life, Obito. I'm you."

"W-why do you sound like that?" The boy hadn't realized he was whispering.

"Are you afraid?" His voice had returned to a deep, morose pitch, making Obito gulp, but when he spoke again, Obito could've sworn the voice he heard matched his own. "What's wrong?" The man shook his head. "I'm only trying to help you."

"The only way you'll help anyone is by dying," Kakashi said. The silver-haired child was standing a few yards behind him, his blade at the ready. He charged headfirst, not the wisest thing to do, but Kakashi was sure that his skills could outmatch Obito's cousin's. As a prodigy, he felt like he had the upper hand.

The enemy sensed this, of course, already knowing all of Kakashi's weaknesses. _Headfirst…_ He briefly remembered the day that Kakashi rushed forward to show off his chidori attack, a maneuver that he was ordered to never perform again by their sensei… _Foolish._

"You haven't learned yet," the man said. He easily stepped to the side and elbowed the boy's left arm in passing, sending him flying towards the wall. Underneath his mask, he looked a little disappointed when he saw that Kakashi had flipped at last minute to land on the wall with his feet and knuckles.

"I've learned plenty," the boy stated. During his rush earlier, he dropped an explosive tag which had fallen at the man's feet, and his fingers quickly performed a snake hand seal.

A grunt of surprise escaped the enemy, but he eluded the attack during the explosion by using his special jutsu, unfazed by the attack. When the smoke cleared, both teammates gasped, and the older Obito simply shrugged the blow off.

"This is all partially your fault," the man said. _But the blame is mostly mine…_

"What do you mean?" Obito asked him.

Kakashi had slid down the wall at this point, standing in a defensive stance. He shot a disapproving glance at his teammate, both appalled and aggravated. "Why are you stalling? Your cousin is the enemy now. We don't have time for hesitation."

Upon hearing this, the man inclined his head once more. "… _Cousin_?" _Your_ cousin _?_ _Is that what you're telling them, little me?_

Obito bit his lip as he watched his older self chuckle, hoping his cover wouldn't be blown.

"...All the more reason I'm going to enjoy killing you," the man said before he charged at Kakashi.

The silver-haired child barely had time to react before he was kicked into midair. The move was followed up by a series of hand attacks that the boy managed to block, but not without a price... a heavy price at that.

Down below, Obito hadn't budged an inch.

He wasn't sure what his older self was actually capable of, not after hearing that voice. _But how come he sounded so normal when Kakashi came…?_ He shook his head. _Kakashi's right._ He pulled out his kunai. _I can't just watch all this happen…_

"You're not stronger than me, Kakashi," the older Obito stated above. He flipped backwards, landing on a dark rooftop, and he watched in amusement as the silver-haired boy did the same across the street. "What a shame."

"Fire style!" Obito shouted to his right. "Fireball Jutsu!" Neither had noticed his advance.

The man turned his head as a ball made of flames launched at him, engulfing his body in the blast, while Kakashi caught his breath. He felt as if a boulder had struck him, although he wasn't quite sure why. Every blow that Obito's cousin had given him felt as if he were being stabbed with kunai, and there were fresh, gruesome bruises forming on every place the man had touched him.

 _He barely touched me, though... He didn't even...?  
_

Obito jumped over the rooftop to his friend, noticing the other looked extremely fatigued.

It wasn't like Kakashi to be worn out by simple attacks and blocks.

The Uchiha arched his brow, failing to notice that the ball of flames engulfing his foe were enlarging on the other rooftop, and their enemy had yet to be slain. In fact, the man was casually crouching inside the ball, consuming the element into his own chakra.

"Kakashi?" the Uchiha asked as he stepped towards his friend. There was hesitance in his tone as he reached forward to touch the boy, who was hunched over, with his hands resting on knees for balance. "Are you... okay?"

"There's s-something—" The silver-haired boy was straining to speak. "About his attacks…" Kakashi murmured, waving his teammate away when Obito tried to help him stand upright. When he caught his breath, he said, "It felt like there was more than one person attacking me…" When the man had advanced from the front earlier, other fists had also struck him in the same place, projecting the force with _three_ times the strength.

Kakashi was amazed that he was still standing, thankful that only his upper half was on the receiving end of the blows, or he'd be completely immobile. _I'm not having Obito carry me back to our time._

"…But he didn't use a clone jutsu," Obito stated. "It was just him." His brows were scrunching together.

Kakashi had a look about him, as if he'd been fighting multiple foes for hours on end with no victory in sight.

 _A few strikes did that much damage?_ Obito asked.

"I felt other hands beside each fist," Kakashi said again, lowering his head. He spit out some blood before wiping his mouth with his right forearm. He weakly pointed forward. "That flame…" he said weakly. "It's... getting larger…" _Why hasn't he attacked yet? What's he waiting for?_

Obito's eyes darted towards the other rooftop. The attack he'd used was now twice the size it had been before, and their enemy couldn't be seen within it. The Uchiha made a 'tch' sound, defensive and worried about his older self's next move. _A blast that huge…_ "How many hands did you feel during each blow?" Obito asked. His eyes remained focused on the fire.

Before Kakashi could reply, the flaming ball separated into hundreds of round pieces, ranging in various sizes from two feet to four in diameter, before hurling in their direction.

* * *

"This isn't a place a four year old should be living." Minato was unable to hide his disapproval upon seeing his son's unwelcoming home. The walls were a light-green shade, with cracks and small chips missing from the plaster. The lower half of the wall was lined with brown wood, and the floor matched. The kitchen was about as messy as his son's room, and the small, square table was covered in a white sheet.

"No one is living with you?" Minato asked, peering down at his son. "You're _four_." Cruel and unusual punishment had reached a new high _…_

"People in masks come and drop off stuff," Naruto said, swinging their joined hands back and forth. "But they never stay and play..."

Beside them, Rin was frowning. "You don't live in an orphanage?"

Naruto pouted at her. "Not anymore, but the other kids with no mommies and daddies still get to." The thought seemed to sadden him. "They get to eat together…" It was then that Minato noticed only _one_ chair for Naruto's table…

 _What a lonely place…_ "They've secluded you completely," he whispered to himself.

Naruto tugged on his hand, pointing in the direction of his small room. "I sleep in there!"

Upon hearing the proud way he'd spoken this, Minato chuckled lightly—especially after seeing how messy Naruto kept his domain. "When was the last time you made your bed, Naruto?"

"Dunno," the boy replied, guiding Minato through the threshold that divided the kitchen from his bedroom. A petite finger pointed at the Konoha wall scroll he kept above his bed. "Look, look! That's mine!" He seemed excited to give the man a small tour, and Rin waited politely at the door-frame, a tender smile on her face.

 _They completely abandoned him after Minato-sensei died_ , she pondered. _That's… it seems so unforgivable..._ As she watched her sensei and Naruto converse with wide grins, her smile faltered. _You'll never get to have another moment like this once we get back…_

 _You're going to die..._

Minato squatted in front of the boy as Naruto chatted about the mysterious, random caretakers that would drop off his food and leave. He referred to them as—

"Not nice," he stated with a pout.

Minato was holding the boy by his small torso, grinning warily at him. "Do they hurt you, Naruto? Please, be honest." If they physically abused him, Minato would show no mercy. No person was even considered a human if they'd strike a child for 'the fun of it'.

Naruto shook his head. "No. They just put the food there—" He pointed towards the table. "And leave." His bottom lip remained protruded.

Minato pursed his own upon hearing this, processing the news with an insightful look . "I see…" _I should be leaving, though, unfortunately..._ "...Naruto?"

"Yeah?" Minato nearly melted at the sight of those wide, blue eyes peering into his own. The look his son was giving him was so genuine and innocently mindful... How could he leave...?

"There are so many questions I'd like to ask you, but I'm sorry to say that I can't right now."

Naruto tilted his head. "Why not?"

"Because I have to go." Those precious lips began to quiver and Minato carefully pulled the boy into a loving embrace. "Please don't cry," he murmured.

"But you're _dead_!" Naruto shouted into his shoulder. He stomped his foot as he dug his nails into the fabric of Minato's shirt. "You're gonna leave and never come back!"

"I'm never far," Minato assured him. "Even when I'm gone."

"You're dead, dattebayo!" the boy cried again. "You're gonna go away…!"

Minato closed his eyes, rocking the boy back and forth as he combed his hand through the child's blond spikes. _How can I make you understand how much I love you—how much I want to stay…?_ "Naruto?"

He sniffled in response.

Minato broke their hug to position Naruto at arm's length. He grabbed the boy's left hand, placing it over his. "Feel that?"

Naruto nodded, his tears still falling down his cheeks. "Y-yeah…"

Minato took the boy's hand again, guiding it over the child's chest. "And now this...?"

Tiny brows furrowed. "Our hearts?"

Minato nodded slowly. "No matter where we go, when all is said and done, we'll still be _right_ here." He cocked his head upon seeing the curious gaze his son was giving him. "Okay?"

The child slowly began grinning at him, and his infectious smile transferred onto Minato's lips as well. "Okay!" His expression was an excited one as he gave the man a vigorous nod. "I get it, dattebayo!"

Minato actually laughed at the outburst. _You are your mother's child…_ "Then I'm glad," he admitted, brushing the boy's bangs out of his eyes. "I'm happy, and I'm proud of you, Naruto— _so_ proud." _Any child who can smile after all this daily torture… they must have a strong-willed heart._

 _If anyone can endure something like this, my son can—_ our _son can, Kushina._

"R-really?" Naruto's voice had squeaked from his surprise of the revelation.

"I'll always be proud of you," Minato stated with a bow of his head. He took off his backpack, and pulled out one of his Flying Thunder God kunai. "I want you to hold on to this for a while." _If Obito's coming back as Tobi later to visit him, I'll need to be able to get to Naruto as soon as possible._

Naruto's tears were forgotten as he gawked at the weapon, and as Minato stood, he tried to reach for it, gasping slightly when Minato lifted it higher so that Naruto wouldn't harm himself. The shinobi used his free hand to brush any stray droplet from the boy's face, loving the appreciative grin Naruto was giving him after he'd done so.

"How about we place this somewhere special, hm?" Minato suggested.

Naruto was frowning at the idea, hesitant. "The mean people won't let me keep it."

Minato regarded the statement with an affirmative nod, but he began wondering why they'd even care if he was so secluded like this. "Then why don't we keep it a secret?"

Large blue eyes practically danced with excitement. "A _secret_ …?"

"Yes, we can hide it."

Mischief, every toddler's dream come true. The fact that an adult was helping him this time around made the child feel all the more honored.

Naruto seemed eager to do this, agreeing with vigorous head gestures of approval and a raised fist. "Yeah, yeah! Where?!"

Minato played coy, making a 'tsk' sound as he glanced around the small space. He knew the answer, of course, but _any_ opportunity to play with his son would be taken at this point. "I'm not sure..." He stepped around Naruto while the boy began to think of a place to hide his new keepsake.

As Minato used his free hand to rub his jaw, he said, "It's difficult to decide." He cocked his head back slightly, peering over at his student. "What do you think, Rin?"

Rin clasped her hands behind her back, stepping into the room while she pretended to inspect the area. "Well, that's hard to say," she said, playing along. " _But_ …"

Naruto was getting antsy, and he gazed up at the girl when she approached him. "But what?!" he asked, the anticipation getting to him. "What?! What?! Ya gotta tell me!"

When Minato gave her an encouraging smile, she gestured towards the corner of Naruto's room, gazing down at him. "How about... under the bed, Naruto?"

Naruto gave her a wide, approving grin. "Right! What _Rin_ said!" He felt comfortable enough to use her name now, especially after she'd helped him in finding a secret spot—and because she'd used his.

It made him feel important.

She'd earned his trust, and when he took her hand, Minato couldn't help but feel a little satisfied at the endearing sight. _There now, both of them seem comfortable._ Any awkwardness, or form of intrusion, that Rin felt earlier was gone. The same could be said for Naruto's assumption of her.

"Alright then." As Minato knelt to complete his task, he said, "Naruto, are you—"

The sound of multiple crashes caused both ninja to become alert, and once Minato carefully placed his weapon under the mattress, he stood, righting himself. "Rin, we're going."

"Right," she agreed.

Minato turned to Naruto, kneeling to give the boy a final hug before he slipped his backpack on. "We have to go."

Naruto huffed, peering down at the floor. "…Okay," was the sullen, defeated reply.

It wasn't enough.

 _It'll never be enough, but know that I love you, Naruto and…_ "I'll miss you," Minato stated absently, thinking out loud. Given the circumstances, he was glad that he'd said it.

The confession made Rin blush. _Sensei… why is it that bad things only happen to good people... good people like you?_ She still couldn't find any ounce of fairness in Naruto's situation, or her sensei's, but she'd have to accept it…

For now…

 _Just for now_ , she mused.

Naruto said nothing in reply as he folded his arms and turned his head, lips quivering. Minato knew he was extremely upset—too frustrated to respond. It was after he and Rin turned to leave through Naruto's window that the boy said, "I'll miss you, too, dad."

Minato whirled around upon hearing the name, taking an astonished step towards the boy. "Naruto...?"

Beside him, Rin's eyes were wide. _He… he knows?_

"…What did you just say?" Minato asked. He had to double-check the statement; the word 'dad' was a name he wanted to hear the child call him since he'd found out about Naruto's existence.

Naruto was frowning as he saw Minato's curious expression. "Sorry, dattebeyo! I just thought…" He shook his head, twirling his fingers while he ducked his head. "You were _really_ nice—and I don't know why—" His lips began to quiver again. "Your hair and…" He pointed at his eyes. " _P_ _lease_ don't be mad…"

"Naruto," Minato spoke up carefully.

"Gah!" The child kicked the air, gripping both sides of his head while he squatted. "I just wanted you to be _him_ …"

"But I..." Minato offered him a sincere smile, stopping himself. _So he figured it out, more or less …_ Naruto was smarter than most gave him credit for—even though the boy didn't quite believe it either.

"And if I ever have a son, I'd want him to be _you_." That was the best he could give his son without saying any more on the subject, and as Minato and Rin hurried out the window, the boy peered up in surprise.

 _To be me...?_ Naruto touched his chest pointing at himself, dumbfounded. A wide grin slowly morphed across his chubby cheeks, and he lifted his thumb. "Alright! Then I"m gonna be the bestest Naruto I can be, dattebayo!"

* * *

Flames spread onto multiple nearby houses while Obito and Kakashi were standing on a nearby rooftop, worn out by all the dodging. Even in Kakashi's fatigued state, he still managed to dodge all of the flames thrown his way... but Obito. His left arm had been scraped by a large chunk of wood that had struck him after he dodged a ball of fire.

Below, villagers were fleeing their engulfed homes, and it wouldn't be long before members of Anbu arrived to investigate. Sweat dripped down Obito's forehead while he called out to his older self across the way. "Is this what you want?! To destroy everything?!"

"Konoha means nothing to me," his older self stated simply. He stepped past the flames and as he jumped in diagonal movements, lifting his hand towards the duo.

Minato appeared in front of Kakashi before the man had time to do any damage, and Rin was beside him, her blade ready.

Upon seeing both their faces, especially Rin's, the older Obito faltered his movement, evading them completely by flipping to the left. He jumped a few steps back on some nearby wood while the smoke rose at high levels.

"Be careful, sensei," Kakashi warned. "He's…"

Obito was nodding beside him. "He's got help— _lots_ of it." _But how come I'm the only one who heard his voice earlier…? Why won't he show it again?_

Minato kept his eyes transfixed on his opponent, narrowing them slightly. "Noted. Rin?"

"Yes?"

He took off his backpack, grabbing his custom made kunai. "Can you tend to their wounds?" Both boys had purple and black bruises on their visible flesh, so Minato assumed that they also had multiple on their unexposed areas as well.

"Of course," she assured him.

He jumped onto a nearby roof, careful to avoid any stray flames.

"Sensei," his opponent casually called further off. "Did you see Naruto?" There was a patronizing cooing undertone in his voice as he asked, "Isn't he adorable?" _Just think, you'll miss everything because of me._

Minato made a 'tch' sound, unaccustomed to hearing his student in this manner. "Leave _my_ son out of this."

"But he's needed," he said absently. "They both are. Besides, I owe him another visit… As soon as I take Obito first." _It'll help my progress…_

"You can try," Minato stated. There was an intent to kill behind his reserved tone.

Obito shrugged, making a quick grunt. "Challenge accepted."

They both dashed forward, airborne, and Minato had been hoping to slice Obito's jugular once he was within range…

But both bodies went straight through each other, making his enemy chuckle and land in the same spot that Minato had previously been.

Minato caught his footing near a patch of growing flames on the stacked tile, turning in his crouched form to see that the older Obito was watching him. He had a casual aura in the way that he stood, but his deep, threatening voice gave away his warning. "You can't defeat me, sensei," he said. "My jutsu surpasses yours." A bold statement; however, there _was_ a weakness for every jutsu. Even Minato knew that.

 _That jutsu…_ the blond shinobi pondered.

"Something wrong, sensei?" Obito asked, spreading his arms.

Minato faltered slightly, still unsure if all humanity in his student had truly been lost. _Obito_... _what happened to you?_ He stood cautiously, lifting his right hand. While he gripped his Flying Thunder God in his right hand, he brought his arm in front of him at slanted angle, and the tip of his kunai was almost touching the left side of his face. His sharp eyes began to calculate his next move, before they darted towards his team.

There was too much smoke to see their whereabouts, and all he could hear were the crisp popping sounds the wood from the houses made as they burned. Minato glanced back at his opponent, creases forming on his brows. _I'll have to find a way to use my jutsu first… It'll be a game of chance, but..._

Obito gave him no warning before he leaped forward again, and Minato quickly threw his Flying Thunder God at his head, rushing after it to feign a strike. In the midst of this, he hadn't anticipated eight Anbu officers lunging at them in the process.

He managed to use his teleportation jutsu to avoid being struck by three kunai coming towards his head, but because of having to evade the third party's weapons, he just missed landing an aerial hit over Obito's head, leaving the traitor to dash away and flee through a small opening within the rising flames.

"After him!" an Anbu guard commanded. He pointed at Minato. "You there!"

"That's The _Fourth_ ," someone stated. "The Third said The Fourth was here." _I don't believe it… He's really here…_ He was gazing in awe underneath his mask, even going so far as to bow. "It's an honor to meet you, sir!"

Minato waved his right hand, sheepishly, hearing something cave in to his left in the smoke. "Ah, I'm not Hokage yet in my time," he said in a rushed voice, scratching the back of his neck. "There's no need for formalities, even if I have been in this time. We have an enemy to worry about."

"We just attacked The _Fourth_ ," someone stated, kneeling. "My apologies." Minato was over the praise. All that mattered were his teammates—even the older one, who'd slipped away…

Minato was giving his admirers a quick shake of his head, stepping away as the wind blew some of the smoke to the left. The spot that Kakashi, Obito and Rin were occupying was now empty and torched.

"We're truly sorry, Fourth," someone said.

"Never mind that." Minato's eyes were darting around in search of three familiar faces. "Where is my team?"

* * *

Rin was running below dodging falling debris as she rushed for cover. "Obito!" she called. "Kakashi!" She skidded to a halt as a large, flaming piece of a fallen fascia fell in front of her, and she took several steps back. The remaining rafter fell next, forcing her to retreat onto another street. "You guys!" She framed her palms around her mouth. "Where are you?!"

Earlier, while Minato and Obito's cousin were fighting, the building the trio were standing on had collapsed, but she was unable to find them in the thick smoke. She'd also heard Obito talking with his _cousin_ before Kakashi butted in. That was the last she'd heard from either of them.

A harsh cough escaped her, and she muffled the noise by covering her mouth with her left forearm. _So much smoke… it's filling my lungs._

"Rin!" she heard Obito call. "Rin, over here!"

She glanced around in swift movements, seeing no one. "O-Obito!" she called out.

"Rin! I'm here!"

"Where?!" Sweat dripped into her eyes, making them sting and forcing her to wince. "I can't see you!"

"This way!" The noise was coming from her right, and she snapped her head, seeing nothing but burning homes surrounding the clear path.

"Obito…?" she asked, slowly moving her feet. As she fully processed the voice of her friend, she picked up speed, rushing down the opposite street. "Obito!"

"Over here, Rin!" she heard him call. She made a sharp left. "Obi—mmmph!" She collided into the masked man, who wasted no time in covering her mouth and holding a kunai to her chest. There was no mission to kill her, but he needed to make sure she didn't move.

 _But how…?!_ she asked, panicking. _I heard_ Obito's _voice…_

"I'd never hurt you, Rin," the man said. "But I guess you'll have to be first in order to get Obito to do as I say later." He wasn't making sense.

 _First for what?_ she asked herself.

"Rin!" Obito shouted. He and Kakashi had just rounded the corner.

The man chuckled. "There you two are. I was beginning to think you couldn't keep up."

"There!" an Anbu guard shouted.

Minato threw his Flying Thunder God at Obito and Rin, knowing he'd dodge it. Once it flew past their heads, he used his teleportation jutsu to appear right beside them. _This time..._ His right hand slashed Obito right in the back of the head, regret in his eyes. _I'm sorry, Obito._

Instantly, his former pupil released Rin, and she hurried over to Obito and Kakashi, hearing the eerie shriek of surprise from their target as Minato slashed the kunai out of the pierced skull.

When Minato fully landed, he took a good look at the blood on his kunai, frowning in disapproval.

There wasn't any, not even a drop.

 _But I_ pierced _him_ , Minato stated, watching the man stagger away. _I slashed him right in the back of…?_ "...What are you?" he asked his former pupil.

The man chuckled weakly, hunching over while he clutched at his head with his left palm. He used his right to pull one of Minato's custom kunai out of his cloak, throwing it on the ground. "Y-you up for r-round two?"

 _Obito..._

Minato took a step forward, only to have the man disappear in a puff of white smoke, leading everyone to believe that he could've been a shadow clone. _But a shadow clone would have_ _disappeared the moment they were struck..._ He grimaced at the kunai that was left behind. _This again… more following…_ He gazed back at the section of the burning village. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience," he said to the guard. _Those homes that were destroyed…_

Again, they bowed to him. "We'll handle things here, Fourth," one of them spoke up. "Not to worry."

"That enemy was mine, and he's probably going to return later," Minato said in a strained voice, kneeling before them. "Please forgive us for the trouble we've caused."

They weren't sure how to reply to this, stunned that a man so high would stoop so low.

Minato was no God, nothing to be worshipped, even if he died a hero. He hadn't become Kage in his time just yet, so the praise wasn't necessary to him, and even if he were, he still wouldn't be used to it.

He was a humble man.

Minato simply sighed as he righted himself, gesturing for his team to follow him as he picked up the kunai Obito had left behind. "Let's go."

As they ran up to him and touched his hand, he felt as if something were off about the way the enemy had just fled, and when the scenery around them began to morph into complete darkness, he tensed, feeling the palms of his teammates do the same.

"Don't release my hand," he instructed.

"Sensei," Rin whispered. "Where…?"

Minato couldn't see his students now, or even _feel_ their grips. There was nothing but black abyss. "Rin?" Minato asked. "Obito…? ...Kakashi?"

"It's just you and me for _this_ trip, sensei," his former pupil stated. When the darkness subsided, Minato was standing alone in a dark forest, the Flying Thunder God kunai Obito had used near his feet. He internally began to fret for the wellbeing of his students, and he used his jutsu to teleport back to the place in which he'd come, the burning scene of the village.

His teammates weren't there.

"Your teleportation jutsu is under my control for the places you'll visit from here on," Obito warned him. "Go back the way you came, sensei. You'll see them again." _Dead or alive depends on what they do now... I'm sorry, Rin, sensei..._

There was a lingering softness in his voice now, a kind of reassurance. Minato couldn't tell what his true intentions were. Obito hadn't exactly tried to kill him earlier… _but_ …

With a glare of hesitation, Minato teleported back the way he'd came, kneeling in a familiar forest.

"Hand over the scroll, brat," he heard a man say.

His brows furrowed while he stood. _What in the world...?_

Where was his team?

* * *

In a distant time, Rin had awoken on a boulder to see her sensei seated calmly beside her. "You're awake," he said with a knowing gaze. She took in the four familiar faces, gasping when her eyes made contact with her own. "Wha… what mission is this?" She obviously hadn't been on it yet.

Obito blinked from where he stood on the grass beside his two teammates. "The one where we get to blow up a—ow!"

Kakashi elbowed him. "Don't talk so casually to her. She could be an enemy." _She could be a fake._

The Rin on their team frowned at them. "I don't think she is." She gave herself a smile, making the younger Rin blush slightly.

"Time travel," Minato stated.

"But I don't remember this mission," Kakashi stated.

"Neither do I," Obito admitted. Beside them, the other Rin was nodding.

The original Rin frowned at them, not recognizing this mission. She peered up at her sensei. "Where's _my_ team…?"

* * *

Obito and Kakashi, on the other hand, woke up on cliffs in a time that transpired after Rin's, seeing another Kakashi rushing below with his special group of Ninken, a summoning technique he hadn't learned yet. "Where are you going?" Obito asked as they watched him rush by.

"How should _I_ know?" Kakashi asked, shrugging. "I haven't been on this mission yet." _Must be top secret if I'm alone..._ They both began to follow him. Little did they know that they too were being followed.

…

 **A/N:** Sorry in advance for the cliffhanger. I'm beginning to love those, really. I think I'll either be breaking up the next chapter into three parts for the three different areas or just make them each an entire three chapters that link up later, depending on what looks better after I write everything out, **but as far as updating, please don't expect anything soon** —to any lovely person that might be. I'm seriously busy supporting myself while getting my degrees right now. I'm not saying updates will be about an 'over a month' wait like last time, but I _am_ saying it'll take time. If another chapter spontaneously gets updated, don't expect any updating patterns. It's kind of like a game of chance really. Sorry about that. -…-'

This chapter was longer than intended, even by my standards, but the wait to post it was also longer than intended. I plan to maybe hit over 100,000 words on this fic, give or take lol

Also, I'm truly surprised by the number of favs and alerts this fic has received, and I'm curious about opinions on this chapter, but if you can't spare a review I'd still appreciate an alert or fav any day of the week. Either is better than neither. :)

Thanks for taking the time to read,

-AJ

Replies:

 **Guest August 6:** Thank you! I like young Naruto, too. Refer to my author's note for future updates, though. Sorry in advance.

 **Guest: August 13:** Yeah, this was over a month ago, right? Was overdue... o.O Thanks for commenting!

 **Guest Sept, 8:** Minato's character will for sure see some Jiraiya moments with Naruto and Jiraiya's death scene will also be in this fic. I wrote that particular scene out about the same time I posted chapter 3 and I loved it in a bit of a twisted way. I thought it'd be fitting for Minato to see because it just makes for perfect angst, right? I don't mind answering questions so don't feel hesitant to ask any. I'll answer them to the best of my ability without giving anything vital away. Thanks for reading!


	5. To Lose You Twice

**Dear Reader:** Okay, so honestly, while this may be my most alerted and faved story out of all my stories, I'm more used to the KH section in terms of canon and writing. The words come off the page easier and I'll admit that I had to force myself to write this out in some of my free time, so much that I wrote eight different versions of this and I _still_ wasn't satisfied with the outcome. I guess what I'm trying to say is, "I hope the end result isn't as shitastic to _you_ as I feel like it is to _me_ at this point, and sorry for the long update."

-AJ

PS: Monday is approaching for some of us, and/or has already attacked the rest of us. The only thing we all really know about this day is that it probably hates us, too. Have a great week. -.-'

* * *

 **Chapter 5: To Lose You Twice**

 **Part 1/2**

The mist thickened around the duo like a blanket, shielding them from the intruder that followed closely behind from a vantage point above. Kakashi felt suspicious that someone else was nearby, but he hadn't voiced it to Obito just yet as they vigilantly paced. The only echoes heard in the quiet were their footsteps over the damp, rocky earth, and occasionally, Obito's whining.

The Uchiha's steps weren't too far behind Kakashi's, but he sidled closer whenever thoughts of his older self potentially watching them crept into the forefront of his mind. Amidst his pessimistic pondering, his concern for Rin and Minato increased, along with a sudden self-loathing of what he _might've_ done to each of them if he allowed time to progress…

 _Rin… what if…? What if_ I'm _the reason she's dead…? And sensei… and…?_ He couldn't shake the thoughts.

Eventually Obito squatted, ducking his head while he gazed at what looked to be a familiar rock. It felt as if he had a sudden Déjà vu… "Geez, it feels like we've been walking in this spot forever…"

The silver-haired boy in front of him slowed his pace, glancing at the black rocks on the ground. One had a crack in it—nothing too distinguishing at first glance…. However, upon further inspection, Kakashi saw that it resembled the shape of an arachnid. He'd thought this the last _seven_ times he'd observed the rock in passing earlier…

Correction.

Eight… he'd seen that small rock _eight_ times, and he released an annoyed 'tch' sound once he finally comprehended this. "That's because we _have_ been walking in this spot for a while," Kakashi stated. "Over and over again…"

"Think it's a jutsu?" Obito asked.

 _Of course…_ "Rin would've spotted this sooner," was all Kakashi voiced in reply. He appeared to be speaking more to himself than to his teammate, almost as if the idea of getting caught in a jutsu as simple as this one miffed him.

"Wonder where Rin and sensei are…" Obito's voice sounded exhausted and inattentive whenever he spoke. As he scratched his chin, he said, "I hope they're okay."

His teammate had yet to spare him a glance while he scanned the foggy terrain. "It wouldn't matter if they weren't. We'd still have to complete this mission."

Obito groaned, rising to his feet in a sudden rage. "Don't you care about anything besides completing missions?! Would you care at all if they…?!" He swallowed the saliva collecting in his mouth, too tired to argue with Kakashi over something he suspected he already knew the answer to.

It would solve nothing at this point.

Kakashi began to glance up, seeing an open area on the cliffs they had run down earlier. _It's as if we haven't moved at all, even after all that running._ "…On the field we don't have time to care. We're shinobi; we leave that behind in order to focus on one thing: the mission."

The Uchiha took note that Kakashi hadn't answered his question per se, but he didn't push the subject further. "…How do you think sensei and Rin died?"

" _You_ die in the future, too," he reminded Obito, although Obito knew the truth. "But I don't know. I…" He pivoted his head to the right, peering towards the rock again. "Maybe your cousin did it…"

Both boys deliberately glanced at each other, embracing the silence.

It was Obito who spoke up first, regarding the suggestion with a nod. "Maybe…"

"And even knowing that," Kakashi said. "Even knowing that he could be reason the three of you are dead, you still feel sympathy for him? Why?"

"He's… family."

Kakashi blinked. "Stupid excuse."

Instead of getting ruffled, Obito simply shook his head. "No, it's not."

"It is."

"It's _not_."

"Why?"

"Because I…" Kakashi was surprised that the Uchiha's tone was even, instead of loud, defensive and defiant. Obito sounded as if he were on the verge of breaking, not standing up for something he believed in like he'd always done before. "W-we… we've known each other for a long time, Kakashi—me and my cousin. We're really close." It wasn't technically a lie.

"I've never seen him before and I think I would've at least seen him around or mentioned at this point…"

"You _have_ seen him around. He's always around…" Again, he was telling the truth… theoretically.

Kakashi seemed a bit intrigued now as he fully turned to face him, instead of peering over his shoulder like he'd previously done. "…How long?"

Obito furrowed his brows. "Huh?"

Kakashi's eyes rose towards the dark sky before they were level with Obito's again. "How long have you known him?"

"All my life," Obito explained, shrugging in a quick, absent movement. "I…" His face twisted into one of guilt while he tried to make up an excuse for his older self, empathizing. "He knows me inside and out; he's been there for _everything_ …." His hands curled into fists as he bowed his head. "I'm not giving up on him, Kakashi." He was shaking now, whether it was due to rage or fear, Kakashi wasn't too sure. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

"Family is hard to give up on." The statement made the Uchiha snap his head up, seeing the boy cross his arms. "Or so I've heard…"

Obito scratched the back of his neck. "Ya know… you never talk about your fam—"

"There's no need." That was the end of the topic.

Obito gave his teammate a long and hard stare before he pressed his lips in a tight line and sighed. "Why do you do that?"

Kakashi refused to look at him, opting to gaze at the endless mist. "Do what?"

 _Pretend like you're okay…_ His brows furrowed at the statement. _You shut everyone out…_

When their observer above saw that they had yet to move, he tilted his head. "Time shift," the older Obito said. The fog around them diminished, revealing a platform of rocks with occasional fog creeping out of several crevices and a large forest resided nearby...

Out of their sight, miles away, a recovering Obito was glancing at the aged form of Madara, who assured him that the little Uchiha would return after he rescued his friends, and that the boy would also give him the proper _gratitude_ he deserved.

Further down the rocky terrain that the real Kakashi and Obito were standing on, a troubled Rin and Kakashi were running from their attackers, minutes away.

"Whoa, the scenery changed!" Obito mused aloud. Although he sounded impressed, his eyes were wary and darting around, taking the modification for what it was—the work of his older self. "I think he's close by now…"

Kakashi pulled out his blade. "Or maybe he never left..." They stood about four feet from each other, backs facing while Obito pulled out his kunai.

"Hear that?" Obito asked.

Kakashi agreed with a quick, "Yeah. It's not coming from the forest," he murmured. "It's coming from—"

An explosion of water erupted from underneath them, muting their surprised gasps. During the second, third and fourth rounds of spontaneous blasts, Kakashi was flung to the left of the field, his body skidding along the rocks with harsh thumps until he rolled to a stop. Obito was launched further off towards the direction of the forest, hitting his left arm against a tree so hard, his shoulder dislocated, and he collided with the earth in a grunt of intense pain.

The Uchiha grimaced when he pushed himself off the ground and sat up, reaching up to clutch the popped area as he scooted to rest his back against a tree. "Kakashi?" he called, seeing some water dripping from his spikes splatter on the ground. After another strain of breath, he sucked in his bottom lip and touched his elbow in an attempt to try to push the bone superiorly back in place. He was wincing and shedding a few tears as he did this, even going so far as voicing, "Shit-shit-shit," numerous times until he fully forced it back into the socket, and once the agonizing task was complete, he sighed and plopped on the ground, catching his breath.

"K-Kakashi," he called again. He didn't want to lose his only remaining teammate during their mission, and he could hear what sounded like clashing and occasionally profanities being thrown around. When he crawled back over to the rocky terrain, his eyes enlarged. "Kakashi! Rin!" They were surrounded by hidden mist shinobi, severely outnumbered.

Thinking they were his teammates he'd been traveling with, Obito mustered up some adrenaline and ran forward, lifting two fingers. "Fire style!" he yelled. "Fireball Jutsu!" He shot a fireball in the direction of some of their enemies with a spurt of his breath.

On the other side of the field, Kakashi was pushing himself off the ground. His clothes were a bit tattered from being scrapped against the rock earlier, and the fabric was immensely soaked from the random bursts of water—just like his hair. After hearing Obito shout, he had just enough time to glance up to see some hidden mist shinobi dodging an attack, and a very surprised version of himself and Rin gazing in shock—not from the large fireball headed their way, but from the only person they knew who used that technique…

"O-obito!" Rin called. She looked horrified, as if she'd seen a ghost, and when Obito saw that his jutsu was going to hit his comrades, his reflection matched hers. Just before the collision, the future Kakashi moved to grab Rin and push her out of harm's way, only to have Rin step back a fraction of a second before the silver-haired boy's arm could make contact with hers. It was a deliberate movement, one that could prove fatal.

The future Kakash's visible eye widened as Rin whispered a regretful apology to him, and pushed him out of harm's way within the same action. He landed with a thump to the left, and he was quick to jump to his feet after the blast had diminished. "Rin!"

He paused, relaxing his shoulders when he saw that she was safe, until he saw her rescuer. "Me…?" _Is this… is this a time travel mission…? How come I don't remember it?_ He couldn't recall. Momentarily, he froze gazing over at the Uchiha. _O-obito…?_ He watched his friend die… He had his Sharingan to prove it. Seeing him again, fully healed… the boy felt his eyes begin to sting.

"Two of them," one of the mist ninja said. "Must be a clone."

"A clone would've disappeared with the slightest push," another one said.

While they spoke in surprise, Rin pulled herself free from Kakashi's grip. "You should've let me die," was all she forced out. "It's the only way to protect the village."

Kakashi didn't understand. "What…?" This wasn't the Rin he knew. His Rin, his _teammate_ wouldn't have said something so… The girl beside him looked like she knew nothing of the optimistic hopefulness that Rin _always_ seemed to carry… And what he hadn't understood was that he had spared her from something he believed to be an attempt she performed to save his future self, when in reality…

He'd unknowingly saved her from performing a suicide attempt she'd been contemplating since becoming a jinchūriki.

"Get ready," both Kakashi's said. Once the hidden mist ninja gathered around them to prepare an assault, the three of them stood back to back, forming a trinity defensive formation.

Before the real Obito could move to help, a hand touched his left shoulder—the same shoulder that he'd previously dislocated and he'd pushed back in. It was still stinging from before. "I'd advise against helping if I were you," his older self explained, increasing the pressure on the area just to hear his whine. "It's pointless."

"Kakashi!" he heard Rin shout. She wasn't sure why there were two Kakashi's and a dead comrade on the field, but she knew it'd be the last time she'd see the three of them.

Meanwhile, Obito tried to tug himself free from the harsh grip of his older self, feeling the man bruising him with a simple touch. "Let go of me!" He grabbed the man's wrist, feeling like a helpless child when the man stood in place like a statue, focused on the battle in front of them.

Even when he pulled out his kunai and gutted the man, no blood was produced, and he didn't seem harmed. He didn't even flinch…

"What the hell are you?!"

"You can't save Rin," the man said simply. His diction was morose and frank. "She's already accepted it."

"What are—?" He yanked himself again. "You talking about?!" Obito tried to pull away once more, and in a final act of defiance, he began slicing at the man's wrists and the very hand that held him. "Damn it! Just let me go!" _No blood again_ , he thought, waiting to see splotches of crimson. _Why can't he bleed…?_

 _Maybe this is a nightmare…_

 _Maybe none of this is real._

"Even if you save her, she'll never truly be rescued." He'd spoken it softly, as if he were speaking an afterthought aloud. As he felt Obito stop struggling, he said, "You'd accomplish nothing except the destruction of the village if you save her now." _I_ could _intervene, but you need to witness what's happened…_

Obito dropped his arms to his sides, gazing up at the man. "What do you mean?" He ignored the increasing sound of electricity in favor of asking the man, "What's wrong with Rin…?"

The man peered down at him, slowly lifting his free hand—palm up—towards the direction of another blue blast. "See for yourself."

Dark eyes darted towards his teammates to see Rin lying on the ground with her eyes closed in front of the other Kakashi, who had water spilling down his cheeks.

"R-Rin…?" Obito murmured. She was still, incredibly so… "Rin?" Obito took a step forward, only to have his older self hold him in place as a reminder not to move. Because of this, he glowered at him.

"What did you do to Rin?"

Using his free hand, the man touched his chest. "I'd never harm her."

"Bullshit."

"Is it?"

"…Is she alright?" _Did she pass out?_ He glanced over at her again. _She isn't moving._

Before he could ask his older self what happened, one of the mist ninja said, "Damn it! He did it… he _really_ killed her!"

The words made Obito stiffen. "K-Kakashi…"

"Don't be so quick to judge," the older, wiser advised.

Obito's eyes transfixed on Rin's lifeless form. "He… killed Rin…?"

The real Kakashi was now standing a distance off in a state of horror after what he'd witnessed Rin perform during their defensive assault against the hidden mist enemies…

It all happened so fast…

He remembered flipping to avoid an aerial assault from a foe, landing in a rush, only to turn and see his future self…

 _But I saw her, she… she_ jumped _right in front of him—of_ me _…_ He dropped the kunai he was holding while he sank to his knees. _Rin…? But why would she…?_

"After all the trouble we went through to get her!" another ninja groaned in frustration.

The future Kakashi, who committed the grim act of injustice, fell to the ground as well, lowering his head. "Rin…" he whispered in shame.

Obito was shaking his head in disbelief from where he stood next to his older self. "No way…" Tears flew wildly out of his eyes as he repeated the action, voice rising. "This isn't real!" He gazed up at the man beside him. "Is this another trick?!" He grabbed the man's cloak. "Tell me this is fake!"

The man simply stared down at him.

"T-tell me this is just a mind game," Obito begged in a rather pathetic whisper. "S-say… say something, damn it!"

"…Would you like it to be real?" the older Obito asked, and his younger self heard a bit of sympathy in his tone. "Reality is only as real as you'd prefer…"

Obito's nostrils flared as he huffed. "You're not making any sense!"

"Rin doesn't want what _she's_ seeing to be real either," he concluded. He'd sent her on the last mission Team Minato would ever have together.

"W-what is Rin seeing?" Obito asked. When the man chuckled, he shouted, "Just answer me!"

The distorted voice Obito had heard him use during the time they met Naruto in Konoha had returned as the man said, "When we died last. It's worth watching." He'd spoken it in the plainest of ways, like small talk at the dinner table.

Further off, the real Kakashi heard what sounded like wood snapping near the edge of the forest and his eyes darted in the direction of the noise. His eyebrows lifted in sudden incredulity at the alarming sight. "O-Obito…?"

The future Uchiha was wearing a dark robe to cover his form. His long dark hair was unkempt, and the entire right side of his pale skin seemed to be permanently scarred—resembling clay that hadn't been giving the proper smoothing before it dried in it's completed state. Seven white spikes were sticking out of his neck region until they slowly swirled into a mask around his face, leaving only his glowing right eye—his Sharingan—exposed.

The mask looked all too familiar, except the color…

It rivaled the same orange one their target had been wearing…

Kakashi stood, watching his other self pass out on the field before his eyes zeroed in on the man standing beside his teammate—the real Obito—near the other side of the forest. "That shape…" _It's...?_

Their conversation from earlier flooded his thoughts.

 _"W-we… we've known each other for a long time, Kakashi—me and my cousin. We're really close… You_ have _seen him around. He's always around…"_

 _Kakashi seemed a bit intrigued now as he fully turned to face him. "…How long?"_

 _Obito furrowed his brows. "Huh?"_

 _Kakashi's eyes rose towards the dark sky before they were level with Obito's again. "How long have you known him?"_

 _"All my life," Obito explained._

"All your life," Kakashi murmured to himself. "You…" The conditions of their mission—and their very _lives_ —had now changed. "Obito…" An agonized cry engulfed the field and Kakashi quickly glanced back over at other disoriented Uchiha.

"I should go," the older Obito said to his younger self. "See you soon." Before the little Uchiha had time to blink, the man was gone and he immediately touched his shoulder. The entire time the man had clutched him, he could feel multiple fingers, several grips holding him, and if he were to take off his shirt, he'd see the purple and black indents of many unidentified digits surrounding the throbbing area.

As he heard another scream, he snapped his head over the terrain to see what looked like… like…

Obito squinted. "What the hell…?" All he saw was a person in a black robe rushing forward and slicing through an enemy with what looked to be branches. "He's… made of a… a _tree_?" He shut his eyes the moment the unidentified attacker sprouted more dark limbs from his arms, piercing them into the chest of his foes. He heard screaming, that was certain, but eventually the voices died out.

Obito didn't care for them anyway; all that mattered was Rin.

Yes… Rin.

She was dead.

That's _how she died,_ Obito thought. _Kakashi killed her… not…_ _not_ me _?_ He shouldn't have felt so relieved, but he did. Another part of him seemed tremendously disturbed in knowing Kakashi would perform such an act of cruely… Then again, the same sentiments could be said for _his_ older self. Obito thought the man to be a maniacal plague at this point.

With his eyes closed, he could see images of Rin, the things he hadn't seen when he was speaking with his future self in the mist earlier. Blood was pouring from her mouth, her brown eyes were wide from her trauma, and Kakashi's hand had gone straight through the left side of her chest.

"Kakashi," he murmured, not realizing the world around them had faded to a lush, green field with the sun beaming down on his face. "You… you killed her?"

"Obito!" Kakashi called him. He sounded enraged.

The Uchiha barely had time turn his head before Kakashi rushed him, tackling him to the ground. " _You_!" He gripped him by the collar, using his right hand to point his father's blade at his throat while he shook him. "It's _you_! _You're_ our target!" His weapon of choice pressed further into the Uchiha's neck. "You probably knew about _all_ of this, didn't you?! And sensei covered for you because he didn't want to kill you!"

Obito blinked, giving his teammate a 'you can't be serious' look. "Rin just _died_ ," he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "She's dead because—!" He punched the silver-haired boy right in the face, knocking the boy off him. "Because _you_ killed her!"

"I didn't!" Kakashi argued back. "I'd never—!"

"Oh yeah?!" Obito lunged at him, but Kakashi was quicker, evading him with a pensive jump back. "Even the hidden mist ninja said they saw you!"

"That was the future me!" Kakashi reminded him, blindly charging forward. He took a quick swing at the Uchiha, missing when Obito ducked.

The older of the two managed to falcon punch the silver-haired shinobi in the stomach with all the rage he could muster. "It's still _you_ ," Obito whispered into his left ear. He never retreated, keeping his fist firmly wedged in his challenger's abdomen while Kakashi stood there in shock. After a second or two, the silver-haired boy recovered, and he lifted his blade, preparing to stab him in the back, although he sensed it would be in more ways than one.

"You're the traitor here," Kakashi spoke up with a bit of venom in his voice. "Not me."

"I haven't betrayed the village yet," Obito said.

"And I haven't murdered Rin yet," he countered.

Neither of them attacked.

Neither _moved_ until the realization in their eyes forced them to.

They both decided to retreat, and once they were a good distance away, they plopped on the ground with their glares still intact.

Kakashi wiped some blood from his mouth, tasting the iron on his tongue. He was sure his abdomen was bruised, and what he voiced surprised him. "…Nice punch." There was a sullen calmness that washed over them now.

Although Obito was glowering ruefully, he grunted. "Thanks…" It wasn't like the younger to compliment him. He slowly brought his knees up to his chest, propping his forearms on them while he watched Kakashi prop one leg up to do the same. Both were wincing slightly from their wounds, but neither seemed to care. It was hard to feel most of their external injuries, when the deepest wound had been so emotional and critical compared all the rest.

Seeing Rin die was a deep gash that could never truly be healed, even if they were to see the real her again during their mission. The damage was done, and they were permanently scarred.

"Sensei and The Third said not to tell you and Rin…" He sniffled a little, using his forearm to wipe some mucus from his nose, but he kept his eyes trained on the grass, observing a ladybug on one of the thick blades. "They knew something like this would happen." _They also said to remain calm, but I can't do that, not after that—after knowing Rin will…_

 _I love her._

 _She's everything._

Kakashi nodded, processing the information while he observed the way Obito's shoulders trembled—and the way the older sucked in his bottom lip to keep his emotions at bay. "I… I didn't kill her on purpose, Obito."

Their eyes slowly met. "I keep seeing images of your arm going straight through her chest," Obito reminded. "How could you _not_ mean that, Kakashi?" He noted how uncomfortable the younger looked while they sat, and how neither one of them had said something to belittle the other.

It was a pleasant change of pace, albeit disheartening that it came to be so because of Rin's unfortunate circumstances...

Kakashi's gaze appeared distant and he lowered his head. "I saw…"

Obito's glare faltered when he saw a single tear drip from Kakashi's face and fall to the ground. "Kakashi…? What did you see?"

"She jumped in front of him—in front of _me_ on… on purpose…" When he lifted his head, Obito saw the horror and despair in his eyes. "She..." He was shaking his head in swift movements. "I didn't kill her."

The Uchiha's brows furrowed. "Rin wouldn't—"

"I _saw_ her!" Kakashi snapped. "I've got no reason to lie about this..." he murmured, peering down at the grass. His voice was uneven; nothing lax about it, and Obito could see the tips of his fingers trembling slightly.

Kakashi was frightened.

"…I believe you." As Obito wiped some fallen tears from his cheeks, he saw Kakashi doing the same, and the duo sat in silence, occasionally sniffling.

"…Obito?" Kakashi whispered after a while.

"Yeah…?"

"Did your future self tell you why she did it?"

"No, but I wish he had." Obito sighed, rubbing his eyes. "It'd make knowing why easier—"

"Would it really?"

"…No," he admitted, his shoulders sinking. "I'd still feel like this."

"Same." Kakashi had so much to ask Obito now—about the left eye he saw glowing from his future self when the disfigured Obito charged the field, Rin's suicide, and more importantly, Minato's absence—but he was interrupted from asking anything of this due to a familiar voice.

"Kakashi! Obito!" Rin called.

Feeling a bit haunted, their eyes darted towards the east to see Rin running towards them in the distance over the fields.

" _Rin_ ," both boys breathed out in disbelief. They were too spooked to move, but the further she ran to them, the more they processed that she was real, and she was _theirs_ , not from the future like the last one they'd encountered… Her eyes were red and puffy from having cried earlier with her future self, and her clothes were a bit ragged. Spots of crimson were occasionally found on the fabric of cotton, along with scrapes on her pale skin. Even the way she ran towards them was lagging and frail—as if she'd just survived an apocalyptic event—and fragments of fatigue and remorse became more prominent within her smile the closer her feet carried her…

But despite how battered she looked—how visibly shaken she appeared—she was _there_.

Rin— _their_ Rin—their teammate—was alive.

That's all that mattered.

Once their brains fathomed this, both boys slowly, simultaneously stood, taking small steps towards each other during their sluggish walk to meet her with Obito on the left and Kakashi on the right. "It's really her," Obito murmured, astonished—heartbroken at knowing her fate. He couldn't tell if he were grimacing from already knowing her fate or from his wounds, but either way he felt too overwhelmed.

As they paced, Kakashi agreed with a light 'hn' sound.

"…Can you keep a secret?" Obito asked. He wiped at his eyes for any stray water, not wanting to upset Rin any further than she already looked.

Kakashi scoffed, but he was doing the same action as the Uchiha for good measure. "Better than you…" Obito appreciated the taunt, feeling slightly like his old self again—if only for a moment.

As Rin finally approached, she spread both arms, bringing them both into a hug before either of them could ask her questions. She huddled them close to her, bowing her head while she closed her eyes and felt their breaths on her ears.

 _Heartbeats…_ she thought. They were thumping as much as hers—beating erratically against her chest. _Both breathing… both alive… but are they_ my _teammates?_

"Please be real," she whispered. Her voice sounded hushed and a little desperate for some of this mayhem to make sense. She couldn't lose them again, not after seeing… _Obito…_

Over her head, both boys met eyes once more, an understanding passing between them. Their secrets were safe, just like Rin.

Because of this, they slowly returned her warm embrace, wrapping their arms around her and they knew if they had time, they'd finish their talk later.

 _She feels real enough_ , Obito mused fearfully. He was afraid she might vanish.

Kakashi shared the same sentiments. _Rin…_

"We're real," Obito murmured, hearing her sniffle. She wasn't crying, but her eyes had begun to water.

Rin responded by holding them tighter. "I'm not letting any of this happen."

"Letting _what_ happen?" Kakashi asked.

"Our future," she explained. "It's not… We can't… _No one_ deserves to die. We can change everything once we go back, can't we…?"

 _"So my team's not here," Rin whispered, meeting eyes with her older self. "Then where are they? I haven't been on this mission yet…"_

 _"I'm sure you'll be reunited with them eventually," Minato explained. She peered over at him to see him giving her a compassionate smile._

 _"Y-you do?"_

 _He gave her a nod, touching her shoulder. "You said so yourself you haven't been on this mission before, so that means everyone you know is going to be all right once you find them."_

 _Her smile began to match his own, and a warmth wash over them. "You're right..."_

 _He removed his hand from her shoulder, using it to scratch his chin while he chuckled nervously. "Might you tell me… how you arrived here, Rin?"_

 _She blinked in surprise, and for a brief second an image of him wearing an apron while he prepared a meal for his team made her recall that her sensei had two sides. Minato on the field was shrewd, ruthless and someone to be feared, but the Minato_ off _the field was a loving man whose only concern was everyone else's wellbeing over his own. Those actions—that nervous, sincere chuckle, and the chin scratch reminded her of his other side… "Sensei, you don't remember?" she asked._

 _"Ah, no," he admitted. "Which leads me to believe that our memories might've been erased after we returned home."_

 _Her perplexed expression matched his own. "But why…?"_

 _Minato shook his head. "I don't know The Third's reasoning, but I trust his judgment. It's best not to dwell on things we can't change."_

"Rin?" Obito called her, breaking her from her thoughts.

"On things we can't change," Rin whispered, releasing them and taking a step back. "But… what if we _can_ change it?" She met their gazes. "What if we can change everything?"

"It's not part of the mission," Kakashi stated.

The brown haired girl was giving him an offended look as she spread her arms, trying to reason with him. "Do you…? Do you want us to die, Kakashi…?"

He closed his eyes, turning his back to them while he folded his arms. "That's not what I—"

"Then why disagree after knowing all this about us? After knowing…" She flinched at the memory. "I…"

 _Rin watched in horror as Kakashi desperately tried to move a bolder off the fallen Uchiha, even going so far as helping him._

 _"Don't…" was the simple request. "It's okay, Kakashi, Rin…"_

 _Her future self was nearby, covering her hand over her mouth as her eyes began to sting. "O-obito!" She shut her eyes and turned her head once she saw him cough. Streaks of red trickled out of his mouth and the real Rin knelt, taking his hand._

 _"Obito," she whispered._ This is why Hiruzen said he received a memorial _…_? _she thought._ For _… She burst into tears when she felt him squeeze her hand in return._ For saving me and… and Kakashi…?

"Rin," Obito called her again.

"I saw…" Rin bit her lip, eyes drifting to the grass as she sank to her knees and sighed. Obito knelt with her, watching her closely. "I saw something I never want to see again…" Her eyes were glazed over in distress and she refused to meet Obito's gaze. "And all you care about is the mission, Kakashi?"

She remembered how he easily brushed off her future self being kidnapped during Obito's final mission, and how he and Obito separated once her future self had.

 _"I'll go with you, Obito," Rin insisted. She was following him as he ran, keeping up as he raced through the trees. She'd never let him go this alone. This was Obito, her friend—her teammate._

 _Obito quickly shook his head, keeping a steady pace. "You said you haven't been on this mission yet, and things could get dangerous." Over his shoulder, he said, "Besides, sensei said you weren't allowed to help because it's not technically_ your _mission yet." He stopped on a large branch, catching his breath while he eyed her with a wide grin. "And Rin…?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _With a scratch of his head, he shrugged. "It's just that… if anything happens with both of you there... I don't wanna lose you twice, Rin," was the last thing he said before running off._

 _She smiled as she watched his retreating form. "You won't," she whispered to her friend, knowing he hadn't heard her. Her smile faltered as she remembered what Hiruzen said about her and Obito's deaths._

 _Did this mission mark the end of both of them?_

 _"No," she whispered, rushing after Obito. She wanted to scream his name, but thought better of it, not wishing for any enemies to overhear her._

 _"Obito," she murmured frantically, her brows furrowing. "Don't find me." She suspected that her and Obito's future self were about to die, and her eyes began to sting. "Just let me stay kidnapped," she pleaded to herself. "Just let me die."_

 _"Kakashi," she whispered. "How could you leave at a time like this…?" If only he knew what was about to commence. And to think that she was harboring feelings for him that she hadn't spoken… She tried her best to help, but in the end, she couldn't stop it from happening, and for that, she felt useless._

Rin flinched again when Obito called her, but she couldn't let go of the memories she now possessed _—_ the confessions she heard.

 _"Rin," Kakashi told them both. "Obito loved you—that's why he gave his life to protect you..."_

 _She took in this information with her back against the tree they were squatting on, while her future self seemed to somehow find a bit of resolve as she shouted, "Then you should know my feelings for you—"_

 _"I tried to abandon you."_

Rin closed her eyes at the memory, nodding. "Don't abandon your teammates," she wisely advised. It was difficult to get over loving someone, especially when the feelings weren't reciprocated, but Rin was now fully aware that Obito cared for her as much as she cared for Kakashi…

But unlike Rin's future self, she'd keep those feelings for the silver-haired shinobi a secret, and frankly she wished the emotions to dissipate altogether. The thought of confessing her love to him—mere seconds after Kakashi had told her about Obito's feeling—left a bitter taste of regret in her mouth. _I probably thought we were both going to die… I probably thought it wouldn't matter if I told him…_

It still didn't sit well with her to say what she did, but it didn't sit well with her to know that Kakashi had left them, either. "Those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as scum," she whispered, remembering the future words of wisdom. "But those who abandon their comrades are _worse_ than scum…"

Kakashi winced, refusing to respond. He knew more about the situation than Rin had and he suspected that if the mission were completed, if the older Obito were killed, then there'd be no need to change anything—because these events that he were probably only in place due to interference from the man they'd been tracking—or so he suspected. He only wanted to complete the mission now for this precise reason—in order to protect what he'd been taking for granted: Team Minato.

He just hadn't been able to explain that to Rin earlier, unsure of how. Every time he looked at her, he felt as if she were a ghostly presence.

It was _Obito_ who came to Kakashi's defense. "Rin, I can't believe _I'm_ saying this, but Kakashi cares, okay? He really does." He ignored the barely audible hitch of breath produced by his teammates; opting to absorb his focus on those brown eyes he cherished the most. "Kakashi cares… even when it seems like he doesn't."

Rin wondered if she'd stepped into some sort of alternate universe. "Obito…" She sensed a shift in dynamics, not only from them but herself as well. Because of it, she found herself smiling fondly at them. "Okay."

Obito blushed, forcing out a long sigh before he plopped down on his back and peered up at the sky, forgetting about his shoulder pain. "…Wonder where sensei is." He carefully wipe at a teardrop that had managed to trickle down his cheek.

Rin seated herself when she saw Kakashi slowly do the same. _He looks nervous to be around me._

Silently, both teammates laid on the grass to mimic the Uchiha's position. Their heads were near his and the alignment formed a trinity while they gazed at the clouds. The breeze seemed to comfort them, if only for a while.

"…What did you see, Rin?" Obito eventually asked.

"You… _died_ ," she whispered. _And you gave your eye to…_

 _"I'll become your eye… I'll see the future for you…"_

Rin blinked in a vague manner. "The Minato-sensei from the future saved Kakashi and I but he came too late to save you…" There were other details, of course, but none that she wanted to voice. She preferred to keep the conversation to a minimum for now…

"We saw you… _die_ , too," Obito forced out, gulping. He'd worded his sentence carefully, knowing Kakashi was sharing his same thought: _We saw you commit suicide._ After raising both brows, he scoffed in disbelief. "How come it took watching us die to get along…?"

Kakashi's answer surprised him. "Because we didn't know how better off we were _until_ …" _You know…_ he finished.

Rin was still smiling, however sad it appeared. "I'm proud of you," she mused aloud. " _Both_ of you."

Obito couldn't help but grin, albeit uncomfortably. "Thanks, Rin."

Kakashi agreed with a light hum of approval. "…I'm not letting either of you die." He knew Obito was alive, but he'd made a silent pact with the Uchiha not to inform Rin. He'd spoken the confession in a whisper, adding, "Not sensei or anyone else for that matter."

Obito lifted his hand in the air, as if he were reaching for a cloud. Once he the wind kissed his fingertips, he whispered, "I say we change it."

"And get rid of your cousin in the process," Rin added.

Kakashi closed his eyes, taking in the light breeze that engulfed them. "How are we here without sensei's teleportation jutsu…?" He suspected it had something to do with being marked.

"I don't know," Rin answered. "I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore to be honest, not after… This is a lot to take in."

"It _is_ ," Kakashi established.

Obito's smile faltered. "I just hope sensei's okay, wherever he is..." The three of them sat up simultaneously.

"We should set up camp here," Kakashi suggested.

Obito agreed with a nod, giving him a quick thumbs up. "I can't remember the last time we slept." The jutsu from before—the one that had given them Déjà vu on the cliffs—they'd been walking it for nearly two days before Kakashi had finally noticed.

Rin took their conversation in with a fatigued look, but she watched with immense joy as they sat up and began to regulate which times either of them should be look out. _Sensei_ , she mused, moving to inspect their wounds so she could heal them. _You should see them_.

 _You'd be proud of their teamwork._

…

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 **Replies to Guest Reviews**

 **Guest Sept. 19, 2015:** Yeah, but the Jiraiya scenes will take a while. Minato's watching Naruto and Mizuki in the cliffhanger. I tried to fit the Minato/Naruto scenes into this chapter, but the final length didn't mesh up and so I just made them both separate chapters. As far as holding back the deaths, I've always suffered from death anxiety at an extremely young age so I don't like to hold back on the topic no. Thanks for reading!

 **Guest Oct. 4 2015:** Wow. I think this is the longest review I've ever gotten and while I appreciate you not flaming me, I _do_ think the story could use improvement—there's always room for that. I don't know if this is coming across as pessimistic or not, but sorry if it is! I'm glad you had different emotions for different scenes, though. I like Team Minato, and the characters that make up this team are Minato, Kakashi, Obito and Rin, so she _will_ be in this story. I'm not set on writing on a one-shot for this section, but who knows? That could change. :) I do enjoy writing about those three. I also hope that you don't expect a reply as long as yours o.O That review alone could be a portion of one of my chapters lol But thanks for reading both my fic and my profile page! And I'm so happy to hear you liked my interpretation of Naruto.

 **Guest Dec. 31 2015:** It's updated! I don't think it's that depressing to be honest. Then again, I'm the same chick who can watch the Titanic and ask why the hell Rose didn't just switch out laying times every once and a while on the door she climbed on so that Jack could've lived? But that's just me and hey, what do I know…? Thanks for reading!

 **Guest Feb 28 2016:** Aw, don't worry it only took me like— *looks at last update date* nearly six months to update this again (holy crap) . And you usually avoid them? Me, too lol The irony of me writing sitting down and trying to write one. Mission not accomplished so far lol And I'm so happy you like the Naruto/Minato scenes. I loved to write those scenes so thanks so much!


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